The People of Louisiana are NOT Small People

The chairman of BP further soiled his company's image by referring to the people who livlihoods BP is destroying with there oil leak as "Small People".

Click to read the entire article: http://ow.ly/1Zwto

Category:

Education

Tags:

• bp oil spill
• oil spill
• bp
• bp chairman
• small people

[inledning]

I can tell you exactly why he said he cares about small people. This is nothing but a linguistic misunderstanding. I am Swedish and know why he said this. The expression "care about the small people" is a somewhat bad translation of a Swedish expression that means "ordinary people" (värna om den lilla människan.). To us it means something positive. So you have totally misunderstood Carl-Henric's motives. Americans would do well not to ridicule other peoples limited knowledge in English.

[WiseStrides]

@inledning Thank you for your comment. I've received a few comments and direct emails from Swedes making the same point. By the way, if you watch my video and listen carefully, I clearly indicate that I'm really not sure what the chairman meant by "Small People". However, one thing I am absolutely sure of and sounds like you agree, is that the chairman should have realized the culture differences & chose better words to refer to ordinary people or the people in the gulf of who were effected.

[SPLENOROUS]

Great job! Unique video! SMALL PEOPLE - what an arrogant ??? the WEALTHY, ELITE calling the pheasants SMALL PEOPLE! This is how they REALLY think & FEEL about us! Stupid SHEEPLE! How much more will AMERICANS tae before GOVERNMENT is HELD ACCOUNTABLE? This maybe a chairman but this is how we are treated - they really think they are SPECIAL PEOPLE! SERPENT SEED!

[WiseStrides]

@SPLENOROUS Thanks for the compliment and for taking the time to comment. As I'm sure you know, there are many people who share your sentiments.

[jeffmoto72]

These BP execs look like the smallest people of all...

[WiseStrides]

@jeffmoto72 By the way, I agree with you. 

[WiseStrides]

@aranelinya It is also being predicted that this will be a very active hurricane season for the gulf this year. Who knows what kind of effect that will have on the region or even the nation.

[ln4359]

maybe he was thinking about himself when he said small ppl.

[WiseStrides]

@elsquibbs I totally understand and this may have been an honest mistake or again he may have accidentally spoke from the heart (i.e. Freudian Slip). Irregardless, it was a serious public relations error by a huge and wealthy company facing an enormous crisis. From a business perspective, I'm confidnent that one of the goals of his speech was to try and improve upon the company's mangled image.. Needless to say, he failed miserably.

[WiseStrides]

@jeffmoto72 Cooments like I want my life back after 11 lives have been lost and now "Small People". If we listen closely we can easily discern who this company really cares about and it is not the people they refer to as "Small People"!

[elsquibbs]

@WiseStrides

All I'm saying is that I'd be mad if English was the guy's first language and if he fully understood the different ways "small people" can be interpreted by an American listener.