Op-Ed: Crude deceptions: Why is the oil spill being shrouded in secrecy?

More than a month after the Gulf Coast oil disaster, as the still-spewing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico grows larger, both BP and the White House appear to be trying to hide and manipulate information about the true extent of the damages

President Obama reportedly admitted he was wrong in his handling of the largest oil spill in American history, assuring us that he was in charge and would do whatever is necessary to resolve the catastrophe in the Gulf Coast, and that he and his administration are fully engaged in the Gulf Coast disaster. So why is BP barring journalists from flying over the ever-widening oil spill? Why is BP trying to block photos of the Gulf oil spill? What exactly is being hidden by the White House and BP, and why? Each passing day brings a lot more questions -- and few if any answers -- and the growing oil slick in the Gulf Coast reveals more evidence of massive corporate crimes and political corruption. When will President Obama quit defending and enabling BP's criminal actions and start holding them accountable? The White House finally admitted that the Gulf Coast disaster is the worst oil spill in U.S. history, yet reportedly continues insisting that the response to the oil spill remains in BP's hands. President Obama said that people are making assumptions and that they don't know the facts. Well Mr. President, people don't know the facts because you keep covering them up. But, people do know a lot more of the facts than the government would have you believe. If the White House handles the oil spill disaster and investigation as well as it handled an investigation of itself -- a White House probe of the Obama White House reportedly found no Obama White House impropriety on offering Sestak a high federal post if he didn't run for office against Arlen Specter -- we are in for a world of hurt. The intentional whitewashing of governmental malfeasance is what got us into this mess to begin with, and it's growing old. It's been made tellingly obvious this past decade that the government will not investigate itself or hold itself accountable for anything. BP is doing whatever it can to keep the magnitude of the oil spill hidden There is very valid evidence surfacing regarding the actual size of the oil leak, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that the public has been majorly deceived as to the actual damage that will occur before all is said and done -- capping the underground leaks and cleaning up the mess. It appears that there is more than one leak, and that BP has been playing games with their video feeds and intentionally hiding the true scope of the damage they're creating and the crimes they're committing. More evidence of President George W. Bush's malfeasance surfaced when it was revealed that the Federal agency he hijacked that was responsible for oil industry oversight, was in bed -- literally -- with who knows how many oil executives, and being paid off, wined, dazzled and dined. A handwritten note, allegedly written by a BP executive reveals more evidence of BP's deceptions and criminal intentions. Despite several attempts to label the Gulf Coast crisis as Obama's Katrina, President George W. Bush and his cohorts are responsible for this mess and should be held criminally responsible. But instead of informing the public about the damage from the oil spill, the White House, repeatedly, refused to release documents -- to Congress -- concerning the BP oil rig explosion. Multiple requests for the documents were reportedly ignored, and the White House has no plans of releasing those documents any time soon. We've seen this scenario too many times in the past. When given the chance to prove himself a leader and take care of the people that elected him, President Obama chose not to. It's been obvious to anyone paying attention that BP has been lying to and deceiving the public since the Gulf Coast disaster began more than a month ago, and BP intentionally low-balled estimates of how much crude has been polluting the Gulf Coast. BP has done all it can to keep reporters as removed as possible from the spill site and its surrounding areas -- away from their oil. BP is ill-prepared to deal with the crisis More incriminating BP memos are surfacing, and as a result, BP is coming under closer scrutiny. BP reportedly told Congressional investigators about their decision to ignore warning signs hours before the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew up. BP knew the rig was going to blow a couple of hours before it did, and they've been doing what they can to avoid responsibility for their actions, lower their liabilities, and cover up their culpability. In fact, as noted by WSWS, each passing day brings two basic realities into starker and starker relief: the direct culpability of BP in the Gulf Coast disaster, and its total incapacity or unwillingness to contain the oil blanketing the shoreline. The Obama administration, BP's accomplice, has refused to demand that BP take accurate measurements of the gushing crude, and has refused to provide measurements of its own. The toxic chemicals used to allegedly disperse the oil have done nothing but make the oil sink and sicken workers trying to clean it up -- aside, of course, from killing any ocean- or wildlife that comes into contact with it. Despite orders from the EPA to stop using the deadly toxins, BP has continued using them. The Obama administration claims to have faith in BP's ability to handle the Gulf Coast crisis and stop the leak -- partially because BP allegedly has the technology to stop it. Obviously that's not true, or it wouldn't be taking more than a month to stop. BP is prepared to spend tons of money to kill regulation and bribe government officials, but BP is ill-prepared to deal with any type of environmental crisis they create. Crude deceptions: Why is the oil spill being shrouded in secrecy? Despite the government's claims, BP does not know best. It's glaringly clear, as noted by the WSWS, that there were no serious preparations made for a disaster on the scale of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, despite serious warnings about the dangers of drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf, more than a mile below the surface. Despite having been drilling in the Gulf for decades and having 77 rigs in operation there, everyone involved in the disaster is learning as they go. Of course, having bought and paid for government regulators does nothing but make matters worse. Scientists have reportedly discovered a massive new plume of what they believe to be oil deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico that stretches 22 miles from the leaking wellhead northeast toward Mobile Bay, Alabama. Apparently the Wayne Madsen report is true. As also noted by the WSWS, genuine accountability is impossible when the criminal controls the scene of the crime. As many Americans know, criminals have been controlling the scene of the crime for too many decades now, particularly the past one. So what do we get out of it besides higher taxes to pay for BP's -- and the U.S. government's -- malfeasance, dead ocean- and wildlife, toxic waters, higher unemployment, more despair and so much more? How much more political cowardice and corruption must we endure? The crude deceptions need to stop. The question remains: What is being hidden by the White House and BP, and why? It's time to seize BP's assets to pay for this greed-driven disaster and it's time to put people behind bars. It's time for the people to do something about this because it's blatantly obvious that the government, in collusion with large corporations, won't.