BP Protest. 2010

Like most Americans, the oil catastrophe has been on my mind quite often. It has consumed the media for better or worse. The one thing that strikes home so powerfully is the toxic culture of blame we all surround our selves with. This is Katrina all over again. Chest pounding, finger pointing, lawsuits galore. Dump money into easing the symptoms, and nothing towards curing the disease. Zero long term solutions.

This is our collective shame. We carry out our days in isolated bubbles of comfort, with nary a thought to the consequences of our unsustainable lifestyles. And when the shit hits the fan we gasp in horror. How could this be? How could they let this happen? It's all Bush's fault. It's all Obama's fault. It's all BP's fault. Stomp our feet and demand payment for damages in full, and when the media stops shoving the horrors in our faces we will all go back to our comfy little bubbles and feel safe again.

And that will be our fault, and our own toxic shame. No one to blame but ourselves.