Oh, sure; piece-a-cake. That's just boat crews. That doesn't count pipe yards, tool companies, service hands, truck drivers, catering companies. Not to mention all the non-oilfield related companies where these people spend their income, such as car dealerships, resturants, grocery store, house mortgages, etc.
And, yes, they're all American, because to work offshore and leave out of an American dock facility, a person has to possess a TWIC (transportation worker's identification card) and foreiners can't get a TWIC.
Does that mean you would support a government bailout of the oil and gas industry?
no i would not.. nor any other industry.
but you seem to imply that more should be done to save the oil and gas industry who has jeopardized the entire gulf fishing and tourism industry, which IMO is a far more critical and larger economic part of the area than a few deep water wells or their support.
nobody goes to the gulf of mexico to see the oil platforms(except those that are reaping the benefits of said platforms) or the results of their complacency.
IMO you seem blinded by "rage against the machine" and cant get beyond your apparent distain to be objective to whats happened here..
the oil industry, in the midst of their greed, made obvioulsy unfounded claims to be capable of managing the feat of drilling safely at 5000ft, even though there was not any means to stop the "worst case scenario".
the "worst case scenario" happened and nobody had a plan to stop it, although others had their chance to come up with something and did nothing on their watch, for fear of being the bad guy and biting the hand that pays them in one way or another.
now the entire gulf region's mainstay is corrupted for years, perhaps decades.
so up steps the first democratic president to attempt enforcement of a
temporary offshore restriction until a more capable plan could be developed(as opposed to the prior republican presidents who outright banned drilling in critical areas) and you cant see any reason for the moratorium?!?
even in light of the overwhelming numbers of people who are affected outside of the oil industry..?!? those alleged 20K oil workers is a tiny number when compared to the amount of people affected otherwise an yet you still defend the oil industry and their recklessness like its someone elses fault they screwed up.