Discussion: BP is not British!

Over the past few days I have been looking much deeper into the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. I am shocked, I am astounded, I am angry. I am very confused. I hope every day for the enlightening touch of answers and the miracle that this leak will eventually be stopped and the damage mitigated - and the people who's lives this is destroying are saved.

But I am also quite irked at one small but increasingly repeated error. One small dig which keeps on going - and I'm really not sure why.

From the numerous news reports, Obama's speeches, the official websites... such as the helpfully named http://www.britishpolluting.com/ - everything is being blamed on British Petroleum. And ignoring for a moment that the rig was leased by an American company - the British connotation is wrong!

BP may be listed in London and have a British CEO, but over half it's workers are US citizens (23,000 compared to the UKs 10,000). Yes, 40% of BPs shares are held here - but around 40% are also held in the US. This makes BP at best, a joint American and British company. Also, a full quarter of BPs global oil and natural gas production comes from the US.

But the main point is that in 1998 British Petroleum merged with the American company, Amoco, and became, officially, BP. Not British Petroleum, BP. A company, not a country, which long ago lost it's British persona. It's selling American oil to America, catering to a demand for a country with the largest oil consumption in the world by a very very long way. It would be mitigated slightly if somebody paused to consider why BP were desperate enough to drill in such unusually deep depths to obtain new oil.

Now this wouldn't be such a big deal, except it's bringing up some nasty xenophobia and it's likely to have some lasting consequences. Already there have been political incidents, such as Obamas anti-British rhetoric and Camerons hasty replies. There have been anti-British posters in New Orleans, taken down only because somebody pointed out to them this might adversely affect tourism.

And, seriously, ok the occasional blogger can fall down to a commonly held misconception - but this is the White House. When they get things like this wrong to this degree it's time to worry. And possibly, time to ask why.

In my opinion, it's handy to let such a misconception grow... because it's alot easier to quell the heavy demand for blame by pointing to a foreign source, and especially one so easily vilified. I just worry how far-reaching this could become.