Could you ever be paid enough money to do this?

[boston bean]

As for me, there wouldn't be enough $$ in the world!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giozCCjlQu4&feature=player_embedded

Please tell me Obama doesn't agree with this. Since it's been going on for a month and a half now, I think he must know.

BP is in control, we can't kick their ass because they are kicking ours!

edit to add partial transcript from think progress:

OFFICIAL 1: Every single security guard here has given the instructions to every single news crew that you can be outside of 100 yards of the workers or along the boom.

WALKER: And who’s saying that? Because no one can tell me that, unless you’re the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, you’re the Coast Guard, or you’re the military, can you tell me where to go on this public beach.

OFFICIAL 1: I can tell you where to go because I’m employed to keep this beach safe. And right now, those are my instructions. I’d like to keep the workers safe as well.

WALKER: I’m going to try to talk to the worker under the tent. Can I do that?

OFFICIAL 1: No, no.

WALKER: He’s on break.

OFFICIAL 1: You are not allowed to interview any workers.

WALKER: The workers can talk to the media, according to the BP CEO two days ago. Still hasn’t trickled down to you all?

OFFICIAL 2: We already heard that one too.

WALKER: What do you mean you’ve “heard that one”? It’s true.

OFFICIAL 1: The e-mail did not explicitly give you permission to do that.

[MineralMan]

1. Time for the media to hire their own armed security guards.

Then, these overgrown corporate dudes are going to have to back down. Either that or call local law enforcement and have your own attorney on hand.

This is one of those cases where the rent-a-cop is overstepping. Screw 'em.

[boston bean]

2. This is not America. How can our officials allow this? nt

[MineralMan]

7. I didn't see any officials there. Time to bring some officials there.

Surely you know that private security guards are forever doing stuff they can't legally do. You just have to push the point.

If I were that media guy, I'd walk on and chat with the guy. The rent-a-cop would have to physically restrain me, and then I'd see him in court on an assault charge. Rent-a-cops have no authority on public property. None. If they want to keep the media out, they're going to have to have real cops there. Just walk on. What's the rent-a-cop going to do? Draw down on a guy while the camera's rolling? I don't think so.

This is some dumbass moron making $15/hr. Just walk on by him and hope he assaults you physically. Then, you can have him for lunch, and you'll have it all on tape.

[boston bean]

11. I am just thinking out loud here,

but what if the fed gov't hired them?

[MineralMan]

14. They didn't. They have their own cops, you see.

This is pure rent-a-cop action. Walk right on by these morons. Or, get your own security team and have them protect you as you walk on by. Or call 911, and get the local cops there. These guys have authority of any kind.

[boston bean]

15. yeah, but what makes BP think it has this authority?

This has been reported on repeatedly and why hasn't the action stopped.

It's almost wink wink, nod nod, between BP and the Fed, until they absolutely can't get away with it anymore

[janx]

32. It is challenging the U.S. Government--or trying to,

through its public relations efforts.

It's not going to work this time.

[sabrina 1]

36. You are wrong. I would not advise the media to risk maybe

being shot, or at least arrested by anyone hired by BP. Not that they have to hire private security, the Coast Guard, and now I read, our very own National Guard are doing this dirty work for them.

If you want to understand what BP is capable of, you need to know their history. You could see some of it here http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8547355

It's becoming increasingly clear that something we only suspected before may actually be true.

We fight wars on behalf of the Oil Corps. They are making a fortune supplying fuel to both wars eg, not to mention we stole the Iraqis oil for them which is the real reason we are there.

These are dangerous people as the citizens of many, many countries around the world can attest to. People die when they stand up to BP.

I admit, I did not think we had sunk this low, as low as Colombia's government has. But when our government is powerless against an oil company, when they call the shots which they've been doing all along in a disaster of this magnitude, an actual threat to our national security, I think there is a whole lot we, and not even our useless media who are getting a wake-up call right now, did not know.

[jgraz]

42. Because their paychecks are signed by the same people who pay that guard

Every. Single. One of them.

[JBoy]

3. This is fucking bullshit.

A group of media people should go in, miked, with cameras filming and recording at a distance.

Tell these security goons they have no authority, and if they touch them they'll have them charged with assault.

Get it all on tape, then broadcast it wide.

[boston bean]

5. If I was a journalist, I prolly would have kept on walking righ past them.

They don't have the balls though, either.

Since when does America forfeit it's power to a corporation?

This kind of stuff scares the shit out of me. How far we have truly come along the road to facism.

[sabrina 1]

37. Good question. But I don't it would be advisable to

walk on by a BP private security thug. Do you know their record around the world for human rights violations? These are not nice people. And even our government appears to be afraid of them. I thought only the Colombian Government would supply a private oil company with their military to suppress any controversry surrounding them. But it looks like we are supplying them with help from the National Guard now as well as the Coast Guard.

See here for some more information on just how dangerous this corporation is http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8547355

[azul]

4. Blackguard.

They hired blackguards.

[boston bean]

13. Blackwater would be the perfect name, no?

God, I hope these people are not mercs.

I don't think so though, cause they knew about the heyward memo by referencing it.

:mad:

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. This transcript has a huge error.

There are no "officials" in the video. Just the reporter and two little arrogant prick $5/hr pushy assholes who think they can control the beach on behalf of Tony Heyward. And as I said in another thread on this subject, if I came across something like this in my town, I'd walk right through the little shits and dare them to do something about it. :grr:

[boston bean]

9. True, they are not officials, they are paid rent a cops for bp

keeping media off of public beaches.

WTF?

[MineralMan]

10. There ya go. That's what I'd do, too.

Little moron rent-a-cop. Step aside.

[AnArmyVeteran]

16. Can you imagine the outrage that would follow if these thugs physically stopped someone?

I would walk right through them too and not even acknowledge their existence. It's not their beach. It's the public's beach.

[Angry Dragon]

8. Everyone needs ot call their Congress people as I have done and will on Monday also.

[Ohio Joe]

23. Links here so you can write

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

[Taitertots]

12. Flash mob the beaches

A couple dozen well armed people should have no problem making him reconsider what we our free media is "allowed" to report on.

[formercia]

17. "well armed" I'm sorry, but you must be looking for Free Republic.

I think you would be happier there.

[Taitertots]

20. Because whining about how unfair they are being is working soooo well

Why don't you go back to doing less than nothing?

[formercia]

25. I guess if you want to get attention

an armed confrontation would do it.

Don't be a dink.

[Taitertots]

28. The situation needs attention

Corporate thugs are preventing our free news media from reporting on an issue of extreme national importance. The government refuses to uphold our rights, we have little option but to accept they no longer exist or affirm them, possibly by force.

[formercia]

38. Never use violence.

The other side always has more and bigger guns.

[Taitertots]

43. How many BP mercenaries are protecting the beach?

How much would BP stand to lose if millions of Americans became aware that they were preventing media access to public beaches with mercenaries in armed confrontations with civilians?

[davidinalameda]

18. unless our officials know this crap is happening

then they can't stop it

I kinda feel bad for the security people-they're only doing what they're told to do

[boston bean]

22. They are spitting on the Constitution.

I know that it's a bit simplistic, but their actions are the antithesis of what I consider to be to be an American ideal, based on the Constitution.

That may not go over big here, I do not consider myself an overly patriotic person, flag flying American, but this is treading on our rights.

[davidinalameda]

29. you're right but they're doing what they're told

it's the higher ups that are doing this

they think that they can get away with this crap and will try to keep on doing it until someone puts their foot down and says no more!

[Jamastiene]

19. Hell, no, they couldn't pay me enough to do that.

This is beyond wrong.

[LiberalFighter]

21. Do private security have a legal right to perform their duties on public land?

Could they be arrested and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer?

[Old Troop]

24. Who are these dicks?

I've been a police chief, an Army officer and a DHS employee and never have I seen a situation where private security guards were allowed to handle the media in this way.

[formercia]

26. It's been tradition for generations.

Ask any coal miner about the private dicks that keep order.

The latest morph:

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/05/03/erik-prince-proposes-blackwater-become-big-oils-enforcer/

Erik Prince Proposes Blackwater Become Big Oil’s Enforcer
By: emptywheel Monday May 3, 2010 3:36 pm


Jeremy Scahill reports on a recording that was liberated from a recent Erik Prince talk in which Prince talks about all the great roles he thinks Blackwater should play in protecting Big Oil. Mind you, he didn’t call it Big Oil. But he proposed sending Blackwater to a number of countries to (seemingly) counteract Iran’s challenge of Saudi hegemony in the Middle East.

Prince painted a global picture in which Iran is “at the absolute dead center… of badness.” The Iranians, he said, “want that nuke so that it is again a Persian Gulf and they very much have an attitude of when Darius ran most of the Middle East back in 1000 BC. That’s very much what the Iranians are after.” . Iran, Prince charged, has a “master plan to stir up and organize a Shia revolt through the whole region.” Prince proposed that armed private soldiers from companies like Blackwater be deployed in countries throughout the region to target Iranian influence, specifically in Yemen, Somalia and Saudi Arabia. “The Iranians have a very sinister hand in these places,” Prince said. “You’re not going to solve it by putting a lot of uniformed soldiers in all these countries. It’s way too politically sensitive. The private sector can operate there with a very, very small, very light footprint.” In addition to concerns of political expediency, Prince suggested that using private contractors to conduct such operations would be cost-effective. “The overall defense budget is going to have to be cut and they’re going to look for ways, they’re going to have to have ways to become more efficient,” he said. “And there’s a lot of ways that the private sector can operate with a much smaller, much lighter footprint.”

In addition to his plot to use Blackwater to counter Iranian power, Prince also called to send Blackwater to Nigeria, in what would amount to propping up a corrupt (but US-friendly) government to beat back the indigenous opposition to the abuse, environmental degradation, and corruption related with the oil industry in that country.

--snip--

[mitchum]

27. I would rather blow goats for a living

[USArmyParatrooper]

31. I bet there's good money in blowing goats

Only problem is, you can build 1000 bridges but......

[USArmyParatrooper]

30. Yeah, just let some security guard try to stop me

from exercising my right to freedom of press, or where to go on a public beach.

[Dead_Parrot]

33. Well, if my fishing business had just been shitcanned & my family were starving...

...I might have a price. Mind you, I'd be very good at looking in the wrong direction.

[Scuba]

34. Good read for anyone who doubted the corporations are in charge of America

[MindPilot]

35. Nothing new here. Any decent reporter will find a way around that situation.

80% of a reporter's job is to get past the gatekeepers.

[flyarm]

39. "Since it's been going on for a month and a half now" ..no almost 3 months! eom

[flyarm]

40. Those of us on the Gulf have been screaming about this for almost 3 months from the get go!

and the blame goes to the top of our government..no one would be able to do this without the blessing of our government..from the top dog..down!

Homeland security has done this..as well as our coast guard! The only ones our government are protecting ..BP..and their own asses and culpability and complicity.

[Spheric]

41. K&R /nt