Once again, I am struggling to overcome the natural desire to feel that the people of a state are getting exactly what they deserve because of the political decisions that they make.
One state official who spoke on the condition of anonymity compared the fossil fuel industry’s control over [Louisiana] to a traditional “monkey trap,” in which hunters use a gourd with a piece of fruit inside the narrow end to lure a monkey. Because the monkey’s instinct is to reach inside and grab the fruit and not let go, the official explained, he can’t escape even when a hunter approaches to kill him.
“He could have let go of the fruit or turned the gourd over, but he can’t do it.” he said. “The oil industry is Louisiana’s monkey trap. The people can’t let go of that very juicy fruit, and so they trap themselves.”
But then I remind myself that Democratic politicians like Mary Landrieu didn’t even give the voters a choice. Their decision in the most recent Senate race was between two politicians, both of whom were competing to portray themselves as the better friend of the fossil fuel industry.
Then again, there’s really no reason to believe that Landrieu would have done better if she had made an enemy of Big Oil, and plenty of reason to think she would have done even worse.
So, maybe the people of the bayou really are to blame.
