To the Editor:
Re “An
Unnatural Disaster,” by Bob Herbert (column, May 29):
One reason the government does not have any capacity to fix the oil leak
is that it is lacking the know-how and experience. One way to gain that
experience is to nationalize the oil companies.
While free marketers will claim that national oil companies are less
efficient than commercial ones, consider the fact that the private
companies have demonstrated no competence in environmental protection,
while given every incentive to do so. Repeated oil spills are a given of
oil operations in the United States.
Another consideration is the enormous influence that these immense
companies have on both foreign policy and energy policy.
The recent spill is yet more evidence that energy is too important to be
given to the private sector, and that the companies are too big for the
government to control. Little wonder that as much as 90 percent of the
world’s oil is now controlled by national companies.
Nationalization will have its problems, for sure. But it just might stop
our march to an unthinkable future.
William DuBay
Poulsbo, Wash., June 2, 2010
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 