I’m no football expert and I’m not paranoid but does anyone else think that Cameron told Robert Green to let the ball in deliberately so that the US didn’t feel totally trashed and oiled up by the Brits!?
Warning – A new computer virus is doing the rounds. Mine has just been infected with the “Rob Green” Virus…..Now I can`t save anything.
At least that`s one British spillage the Americans won`t be complaining about.
BP have annouced that Rob Green will take over as their CEO on monday.A BP spokesman described green as “an expert on spillages and experienced in helping the americans through tough times.
😉
Bedd Gelert
14/06/2010 at 8:35 pm
An amusing video on this topic – shame there is a bit of ‘language’ at the end as otherwise would be recommended without hesitation for work viewing..
This has really gotten out of hand. Britons are just wrong to believe there is anti-British sentiment in the US over the oil spill. Saying “British Petroleum” instead of “BP” is not uncommon here, and frankly, I doubt that you lot just fall into line instantly when company rebrands itself with its initials.
In the end, it shows a remarkable and surprising thin skin to complain of anti-British sentiments over such flummery.
Chris K
15/06/2010 at 11:44 am
It didn’t just “re-brand” it merged with Amoco, an American company, becoming BP Amoco. THEN it rebranded to BP plc in 2001 after acquiring two more companies. Its tagline became “Beyond Petroleum”.
‘British Petroleum’ hasn’t existed since 1998. So why would anyone call it that? One can hardly use the “it’s more familiar” argument because on that basis it would, surely, be Amoco, the American predecessor company?
Rich
16/06/2010 at 7:38 pm
I don’t think you understand how mergers work; they are essentially never structured as marriages. Instead, one takes over the other. In this case, British Petroleum took over Amoco and rebranded its corporate identity as BP Amoco. It later rebranded its corporate self and stations as BP.
Regardless, BP had been active in the US as British Petroleum for many years before the merger (which activity included running petrol stations) and all the Amoco stations were rebranded as BPs in just a couple of yes, so you are simply wrong about what would be familiar. Also, we are not the ignorant hicks the world always assumes we are. British Petroleum was long an important company in the energy industry and in geopolitical politics.
But no, by all means, assume that President Obama saying “British Petroleum” must be some sort of American insult.
Chris K
17/06/2010 at 10:16 am
You said it rebranded itself as BP, not British Petroleum, which I readily accept. Since 1998 BP and “British Petroleum” are not, as you wrongly suggest, interchangeable names and that is the reason I question exactly why that name is being dredged up from history. I find it very hard to believe that in the modern era of PR any of your petrol stations would be branded “British” anything.
Even putting semantics aside I think many of us question whether it’s even right that it’s BP’s ‘donkey’ who should be kicked. Or is it their fault merely because they left someone else in charge of the oil extraction process?
I’m not insulted by the perceived anti-British sentiment at all, not that I would need anyone’s permission to be. To a large extent I think people choose to be insulted and that it is an irrational emotion.
I do worry, however, that a man who has shown himself to be so anti-business (even before now) occupies the White House.
Given that you were so irritated by Lord Soley’s funny post, perhaps you are more sensitive than you suggest we are?
Carl.H
15/06/2010 at 9:31 am
Rich, check earlier reactions by American Frank Summers III who did seem to blame Britain. That said, there is no belief by the average person that the US citizen is blaming the UK, the media may have a different take but.. !
Remarkably the average British citizen no longer associates companies with “British ” in their names as being so. Most are owned by foreign investors or seem to be and there is a distinct mistrust of those companies who often seem to have the worst service record.
Please try to understand the British sense of humour, when disaster strikes and there is little we can do, we make jokes. Be it murders, natural disasters or even drawing with the USA at Football(Soccer to the USA). This is possibly due to the lack of therapy in the NHS, our misfortune not to live in the land of the free and our obvious inability to be empathetic and outwardly emotive like our friends across the pond who saved Europe twice and kicked our butt during the war of independence, which they`re rightly quick to remind us of.
By the way the if the USA should meet Germany in the next rounds of the World Cup I hope it`s not a 19.30 kick off….Else the USA is unlikely to arrive before 19.41 😉
Oh come on smile 🙂
Rich
16/06/2010 at 7:25 pm
I’m sorry, but that’s egregious. I have been reading about supposed anti-British sentiment from the press and hearing about from parliamentarians for weeks now. At the time this piece was written, the PM’s discussion with Barack Obama was still in the headlines. It is simply absurd to suggest the the reaction I keep hearing is based on Frank Summers III.
As for “getting” the British sense of humour, I do. But, on the heels of reading three articles that failed utterly to provide anything approaching an adequate explanation as to how the British are the victims of American arrogance in this, Lord Soley’s attempt at humour was irritating, not funny.
“BP have annouced that Rob Green will take over as their CEO on monday.A BP spokesman described green as “an expert on spillages and experienced in helping the americans through tough times.”
My US citizen brother tells me that he is a buyer of BP in NY at 10$, by which time the 30% stake over which the UK govt fought the BASRA war, will be almost worthless.
Does one good turn not deserve another, eh, George Bush?
My lord, if there is an element of demonstrable factuality or truth in what you are thinking (about), then you are not psychiatrically paranoid.
“Dirt: anything in the wrong place” (RSM Britton, British regular army, WW”):
Therefore the English soccer team is not ‘dirt’; but the US coast deep-sea oilspill is.
[ BG: with thanks, but a dirty great UStube would be more focally-effective than a mere metube, wouldn’t one be free to conjecture ? ].
[CarlH:
(1) Presumably your Rob Green is an internationally-executive Oilspill ex-spurt ?
whereas this topic’s Robert Green appears to be the international English ‘soccer’ goal-keeper ? .
(2) “Football UK” versus “Soccer USA” won’t wash:
up to 1941 I played football with a spherical ball at Saltash; but thereafter gained entrance to Plymouth College where the prefect came around one morning “Any boys like a game of football on Saturday afternoon ?”. Hands went up, so did mine.
“What position ?”; I replied “Centre-half, please”.
There was an outburst of uncontrollable laughter, from the male-teacher too, nonetheless who kindly and quickly explained “Our football is Rugby-football: you look tall and slim, just right as a three-quarter”. ]
The bigger question put to us now becomes of even deeper and thicker intrigue, however; and a certain ‘story’, recently released from Top-Secrecy I believe, goes something like this:
British ‘Intelligence’ (qua Information-gathering, on the West coast of the USA just prior to ‘Pearl Harbour’) cracked the Imperial Japanese Navy’s secret-code including messages planning the infamous Nip-Navy aircraft-carrier bombing attack on the US Navy sleeping ‘down-below’ in (guess where)… Pearl Harbour way out in the Pacific Ocean.
Being responsibly top-secret, our MI6 wired the War Cabinet (WC London); which by-return ordered “Say not a word to the Americans”.
And that, folks, is how the USA, the British Commonwealth, the then USSR, France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Scandinavia, China, Malaysia, and many other Allies came to defeat not only Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, but Tojo’s Japan too: thus winning instead of losing WW2.
Would that put this topic into a more deliberable perspective, ladies and gentlemen ?
Plymouth is getting so keen on Rugby football, Brittany Ferries is even offering Excursion tickets from Plymouth to Cork in southern Ireland direct to get to watch Benetton play Leinster or Munster in the Magners league next season.
This is no joke these US right-wing volk act in earnest. What’s worse the parochial, introspective home guard nature of many shallow Americans makes a slick presentation like this quite believable to them.
Gareth Howell
16/06/2010 at 3:27 pm
The video only goes to prove that Open outcry is responsible for the collapse of the market, and my Brother will buy up the rest of BP at 10$ !
Drop the petroleum and just call it Bamoco, or the British and call it Pamoco. An accurate trade description.
Warning – A new computer virus is doing the rounds. Mine has just been infected with the “Rob Green” Virus…..Now I can`t save anything.
At least that`s one British spillage the Americans won`t be complaining about.
BP have annouced that Rob Green will take over as their CEO on monday.A BP spokesman described green as “an expert on spillages and experienced in helping the americans through tough times.
😉
An amusing video on this topic – shame there is a bit of ‘language’ at the end as otherwise would be recommended without hesitation for work viewing..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7ClM
This has really gotten out of hand. Britons are just wrong to believe there is anti-British sentiment in the US over the oil spill. Saying “British Petroleum” instead of “BP” is not uncommon here, and frankly, I doubt that you lot just fall into line instantly when company rebrands itself with its initials.
In the end, it shows a remarkable and surprising thin skin to complain of anti-British sentiments over such flummery.
It didn’t just “re-brand” it merged with Amoco, an American company, becoming BP Amoco. THEN it rebranded to BP plc in 2001 after acquiring two more companies. Its tagline became “Beyond Petroleum”.
‘British Petroleum’ hasn’t existed since 1998. So why would anyone call it that? One can hardly use the “it’s more familiar” argument because on that basis it would, surely, be Amoco, the American predecessor company?
I don’t think you understand how mergers work; they are essentially never structured as marriages. Instead, one takes over the other. In this case, British Petroleum took over Amoco and rebranded its corporate identity as BP Amoco. It later rebranded its corporate self and stations as BP.
Regardless, BP had been active in the US as British Petroleum for many years before the merger (which activity included running petrol stations) and all the Amoco stations were rebranded as BPs in just a couple of yes, so you are simply wrong about what would be familiar. Also, we are not the ignorant hicks the world always assumes we are. British Petroleum was long an important company in the energy industry and in geopolitical politics.
But no, by all means, assume that President Obama saying “British Petroleum” must be some sort of American insult.
You said it rebranded itself as BP, not British Petroleum, which I readily accept. Since 1998 BP and “British Petroleum” are not, as you wrongly suggest, interchangeable names and that is the reason I question exactly why that name is being dredged up from history. I find it very hard to believe that in the modern era of PR any of your petrol stations would be branded “British” anything.
Even putting semantics aside I think many of us question whether it’s even right that it’s BP’s ‘donkey’ who should be kicked. Or is it their fault merely because they left someone else in charge of the oil extraction process?
I’m not insulted by the perceived anti-British sentiment at all, not that I would need anyone’s permission to be. To a large extent I think people choose to be insulted and that it is an irrational emotion.
I do worry, however, that a man who has shown himself to be so anti-business (even before now) occupies the White House.
Given that you were so irritated by Lord Soley’s funny post, perhaps you are more sensitive than you suggest we are?
Rich, check earlier reactions by American Frank Summers III who did seem to blame Britain. That said, there is no belief by the average person that the US citizen is blaming the UK, the media may have a different take but.. !
Remarkably the average British citizen no longer associates companies with “British ” in their names as being so. Most are owned by foreign investors or seem to be and there is a distinct mistrust of those companies who often seem to have the worst service record.
Please try to understand the British sense of humour, when disaster strikes and there is little we can do, we make jokes. Be it murders, natural disasters or even drawing with the USA at Football(Soccer to the USA). This is possibly due to the lack of therapy in the NHS, our misfortune not to live in the land of the free and our obvious inability to be empathetic and outwardly emotive like our friends across the pond who saved Europe twice and kicked our butt during the war of independence, which they`re rightly quick to remind us of.
By the way the if the USA should meet Germany in the next rounds of the World Cup I hope it`s not a 19.30 kick off….Else the USA is unlikely to arrive before 19.41 😉
Oh come on smile 🙂
I’m sorry, but that’s egregious. I have been reading about supposed anti-British sentiment from the press and hearing about from parliamentarians for weeks now. At the time this piece was written, the PM’s discussion with Barack Obama was still in the headlines. It is simply absurd to suggest the the reaction I keep hearing is based on Frank Summers III.
As for “getting” the British sense of humour, I do. But, on the heels of reading three articles that failed utterly to provide anything approaching an adequate explanation as to how the British are the victims of American arrogance in this, Lord Soley’s attempt at humour was irritating, not funny.
Haha, conspiracy theories will run wild!
“BP have annouced that Rob Green will take over as their CEO on monday.A BP spokesman described green as “an expert on spillages and experienced in helping the americans through tough times.”
My US citizen brother tells me that he is a buyer of BP in NY at 10$, by which time the 30% stake over which the UK govt fought the BASRA war, will be almost worthless.
Does one good turn not deserve another, eh, George Bush?
BASRA PSAs for the shores of Carolina?
My lord, if there is an element of demonstrable factuality or truth in what you are thinking (about), then you are not psychiatrically paranoid.
“Dirt: anything in the wrong place” (RSM Britton, British regular army, WW”):
Therefore the English soccer team is not ‘dirt’; but the US coast deep-sea oilspill is.
[ BG: with thanks, but a dirty great UStube would be more focally-effective than a mere metube, wouldn’t one be free to conjecture ? ].
[CarlH:
(1) Presumably your Rob Green is an internationally-executive Oilspill ex-spurt ?
whereas this topic’s Robert Green appears to be the international English ‘soccer’ goal-keeper ? .
(2) “Football UK” versus “Soccer USA” won’t wash:
up to 1941 I played football with a spherical ball at Saltash; but thereafter gained entrance to Plymouth College where the prefect came around one morning “Any boys like a game of football on Saturday afternoon ?”. Hands went up, so did mine.
“What position ?”; I replied “Centre-half, please”.
There was an outburst of uncontrollable laughter, from the male-teacher too, nonetheless who kindly and quickly explained “Our football is Rugby-football: you look tall and slim, just right as a three-quarter”. ]
The bigger question put to us now becomes of even deeper and thicker intrigue, however; and a certain ‘story’, recently released from Top-Secrecy I believe, goes something like this:
British ‘Intelligence’ (qua Information-gathering, on the West coast of the USA just prior to ‘Pearl Harbour’) cracked the Imperial Japanese Navy’s secret-code including messages planning the infamous Nip-Navy aircraft-carrier bombing attack on the US Navy sleeping ‘down-below’ in (guess where)… Pearl Harbour way out in the Pacific Ocean.
Being responsibly top-secret, our MI6 wired the War Cabinet (WC London); which by-return ordered “Say not a word to the Americans”.
And that, folks, is how the USA, the British Commonwealth, the then USSR, France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Scandinavia, China, Malaysia, and many other Allies came to defeat not only Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, but Tojo’s Japan too: thus winning instead of losing WW2.
Would that put this topic into a more deliberable perspective, ladies and gentlemen ?
Plymouth is getting so keen on Rugby football, Brittany Ferries is even offering Excursion tickets from Plymouth to Cork in southern Ireland direct to get to watch Benetton play Leinster or Munster in the Magners league next season.
I LOVE the video on Bedd Gelert’s comment above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7ClM I think BP should copyright it!
Having read the others I might end up being responsible for serious outbreaks of paranoia across the UK/US – a new form of special relationship!
Everything it seems is Britain’s fault!
WARNING: some may find this site offensive.
http://www.larouchepac.com/lpactv?nid=14416
This is no joke these US right-wing volk act in earnest. What’s worse the parochial, introspective home guard nature of many shallow Americans makes a slick presentation like this quite believable to them.
The video only goes to prove that Open outcry is responsible for the collapse of the market, and my Brother will buy up the rest of BP at 10$ !
Drop the petroleum and just call it Bamoco, or the British and call it Pamoco. An accurate trade description.
NORTH Koreans were celebrating last night after their team’s long-predicted 8-0 thrashing of decadent capitalist Brazil.
I have got my Welsh flag out and I am waving it vigorously.