"We care about the small people" ...

[Subdivisions]

BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg just now in live press briefing.

[damntexdem]

1. Well the Munchkins should be happy, then.

Somebody call OZ and tell them.

Or did he mean leprechauns? Maybe he meant to say "the little people."

;-)

[asdjrocky]

2. He really said that?

[Subdivisions]

3. Yes. n/t

[WCGreen]

8. For the love of god these guys are walking talking examples of

big business hubris.

[Pirate Smile]

14. It doesn't change the meaning but he was saying small where we usually would

use the word "little" - the "looking out for the little people".

He wasn't prepped to say "the people hurt by the oil spill(blowout)" or "Gulf residents", etc. This isn't going to help BP PR, that is for sure.

[asdjrocky]

16. So, do I get a pass for wanting to smack him upside his head?

[Pirate Smile]

19. Sure. I'll join you.

[blogslut]

4. I give him a pass because English is not his first language

n/t

[dorkulon]

6. Exactly. I'm sure it sounds sympathetic in German. (maybe) /nt

[blogslut]

9. I don't think he's German

I'm betting he's Swedish.

[dorkulon]

13. I kinda knew that, but I went with German because it's more cartoon-evil.

Also, I was thinking they speak German in Sweden, but that's Switzerland...

[gateley]

5. Be fair - he meant the small business people (not that I believe him) - it was

a translation glitch. If he knew how it sounded, he never would have said it that way.

[SeattleGirl]

7. Well, that certainly sums up how BP (and other corporations)

see us.

[WCGreen]

10. Did you say something..

I can not see you for you are way too small...

[State the Obvious]

11. Please don't make too much of his poor choice of words.....

English is his 2nd language..... ( He also mentioned that there would be no more BP dividends paid for the remainder of the year. )

[Oregone]

12. By that, he means cockroaches

They are very small. BP is making the world more habitable for them, at your expense. Cockroach says thank you.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Ahhh...the Helmsly effect.

(Leona Helmsley famously said, “only the little people pay taxes.”)

[scottyjanet]

17. No, I won't give him a pass for the language

Swiss are usually bi and tri lingual, Scandinavians often have better English than Native speaking Brits or Americans, Same for many Dutch and Belgians that I've met. They learn well, and they don't learn slang. And you don't get to be the Chairman of such an international company for being stupid. He said what he meant, even if he didn't mean to say it.

[blogslut]

18. LOL!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Subdivisions]

20. Exactly my reasons for not giving him the pass and posting the OP.

Edited to add: Thanks and welcome to DU.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

21. So did Marie Antoinette.

[AndyA]

22. Shades of Leona Helmsley! (She called them "little people" I think.)

Well, one thing we do know: BP executives are BIG DICKS (with little dicks).

It's really hard to muster up any empathy whatsoever for anyone at the top at BP. They have a really lousy safety record, and no doubt are still cutting corners elsewhere. I wonder if inspections at their facilities have been beefed up? If I were in charge, every single one of their facilities--in fact every single oil facility--would be getting a very close inspection right now.

[Javaman]

23. Funny, we "small people" don't give a shit about him. nt