I thought the Fourth of July was indigenous to the USA. What are these guys doing shooting off fireworks on our holiday?

I wonder if your family was a victim of this tragedy, if you would be as compassionate...soften your heart man...bow your head and pray for them...you may have the luxury to purchase gas at will but I don't believe they have the same privilege/opportunity as you...in other words, your simple needs ie food is a luxury in their life.

Many unfortunate people then you have just perished...have some respect and compassion please.

seekhumility - of course your correct. And believe it or not, I do have a sense of compassion and I'm sure that there's a lot of grief and pain over there with those folks and for that I am sorry for their misfortune.

On the other hand, you know that saying "there's one in every crowd?" Well, I'm usually the one. I just couldn't pass it up. It's a character flaw, I guess. And, if I've offended you I'm really sorry, no, really I am. God bless.

An absolute tragedy.

I wonder when the last time was that 200 people died from a solar power accident.

hmm ever thought maybe just maybe the fact that the driver was incompetent/poor road infrastructure might be the issue and not the energy being transported? the level of simplemindedness on this board is sometimes a tragedy in of itself.

don't try to blame this tragedy on this industry, your only insulting the memory of those who died.

The tanker didn't blow after the accident and fuel thieves were at work when it went off. Probably a careless smoker. Just another example of the dangers associated with ignorance, unfortunate and costly both monetarily and in lives.......

Dansen Steve, you are nothing but a racist pig. Those kind of comments should just be kept to yourself.

Dansen steve-the best part of you dripped down your mother's leg.

ty tyler, that comment was unacceptable

Not very good satire, but whatever.. It helps if you establish a known attitudinal relationship with your audience before you make such vague satire.

I think he has proven that!

"a known attitudinal relationship with your audience"

Lol!! Now that's funny.

They would have blamed this on Bush if he was still president, why can't we blame this on Obama, I agree with James.

Exactly.

It's amazing how the party of 'NO" fanboyz will still stick together, even in stupidity! Mr. james comments were not only less than humorous they were typical neo-con rhetoric! Too bad that these people have learned the ways of Fake News Network and can find a way to make a political statement even in the midst of a terrible tragedy! Yet this is the party of the Christian God who teaches to love and help our fellow man? Perhaps they use the words from the book of limburger or beck to base their beliefs on?

This proves God is a republican. If He was a democrat, He would have taken six talents from the prosperous servant and given them to six worthless servants.

Hi Amy,got just one question for you, was Obama the one driving the tanker? If ur answer is no, then u have no right to blame ur president for what happened in some country thousands of miles away. Like i always say no offence.

Good point, dejato. But actually, I don't blame Obama for this accident. Unfortunately, accidents happen. The original poster's point was that Obama has blamed so much on Bush, that it is just as absurd as blaming this accident on Obama. That's the way I understood him.

Anyway, this blog is not about politics, but it is just so easy to go in that direction.

My understanding is that Giving for the ones that can is obligatory as God as stated to us...no if then buts about it, however a person has been given the chose to do it or not but they are responsible for that decision like everything else they do in this life.

Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats Republicans Democrats ... I can't imagine any of these parties truly serves any individual or collection of individuals but there are elected representatives within each that seek to better serve our society and not their popularity or wealth.

In my humble opinion, we are being toyed with and for some unexplainable reason, have accepted/are enjoying it. I was once advised to better understand myself, I should get out of my own skin and look at myself from the outside. Not an easy task but very eye opening one indeed...making one realize the insignificance of the many things in ones life.

Amy T, Go right ahead and believe in your facistic ,phoney ,capitalist god ! I wonder why if the god you believe in,is capitalist, why does the bible forbid the selling of food for profit ? If your god is capatilist,why then did your god inform the Jews that the land of the earth belonged to him alone,not to us humans who are mere temporary dwellers upon the land ? And by the way;does not the bible say that the love of money is the root of all evil ?

Amy, anyone who would take from the poor and give it to the rich ,is an @!$%# ! And just one more little thing; as I said already go ahead and have faith in what ever you like,but do not tell me what I am supposed to have faith in ;you are not my master ,nor my mother !

James, James, James...

Look again in Genesis where Joseph sold grain for... money. If there is a later scripture that forbids the selling of food for profit, I would like to see it. Also in Genesis, God gave to man dominion over the earth. Yes, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Most of us love our money tooooooooo much to open-handedly, generously give to God. It becomes an idol; we love it more than God. Yeah, that's evil.

Taking from the servant who had one talent and giving it to the servant who had ten is God's warning to us. Most of us are so busy serving ourselves that we forget to serve God with what we have and who we are.

Actually, if your faith is in government provision and you believe in heavy taxation, I have every right and responsibility to tell you to stop that!

Believe as you want, dear. Bottom line, and what we all should be asking ourselves right now:

If you died today, where would you spend eternity?

Think about it.

Ms. Amy T: Perhaps if you would take the time to actually read what I wrote, then you would be able to understand the words! No where did I imply, or say that I wanted the government to support anyone! Did I say that these people were using a tragedy for political purposes, yes I did! Did the poster follow the lead of Fake News Network in using a tragedy for political purposes, yes they did attempt to!

Please tell me where you find it in the Christian Bible that giving to the needy or downtrodden is only to be done if you so choose to? I am disappointed that someone such as you, who seems to be so well versed in the scripture chooses to read into a sentence the meaning that you wish to see instead of the written words! How many of your fellow money grubbers will match the parable of the "rich man/camel"? Probably many more than you wish to admit to! I think that your words at the end of your last post (#3.14) is very accurate, perhaps you should also take a moment and think about it also! Have a wonderful day and a great and safe holiday!

Amy T. are you Jewish or a Christian? your quoting the old testament . how about quoting the new testament or maybe you should read it first.

The problem is never those who give. It's those who take, take, take and never feel the least obligation to put back in kind what they take. Hence, when the taking becomes ultimate autonomous power in the hands of too few...a power higher than anything humans can imagine takes what the selfish refuse to give.

Once again, a fuel tanker has killed. Smarten up people. How many more people have to die for oil?

How many more people will rush to a burning fuel tanker with no regard to the dangerof doing so? No one knows how many more will die, ewent. . The truck accident could very well have been a hijacking gone wrong. There is a history of that in the Congo, and the rest of Africa. Would it be better if that truck was loaded with wood? Afalling log can be deadly.

Post 3.7 and 3.13

Don't bash the Christian God because of those who claim His name, but don't know Him and misrepresent His character. There will be many surprises for those who claim His name, thinking that He is like them and approves of the evil, corrupt system that they esteem as good and just. It's sad to see that so many of those who claim Christ's Name have fallen in this snare... But that sure doesn't stop me from believing in God, in His Word and seeing and acknowledging the truth for myself!!

While I am a religious person myself, I also consider myself to know where & when certain things are appropriate and/or needed.

That said, I have a question. Those of you who are contributing to the lengthy "God" discussion above, would you be so kind to answer this one question .... "Just what the hell does it have to do with the topic of this article"??

I'm sure there is a very just reason about how God's political preference is connected to a gas tanker exploding in Africa, but I simply can not locate that connection. I'm sure one of you can explain the exact importance of all this.

EXACTLY David, lot's of silly, full of their beliefs people out there. This was a tragic accident.

Well, you see, someone always starts to make those remarks, and then it just keeps going.. Surely you have seen it on many blogs..... they just love to make those remarks, and that's how it starts!

Remember, 'Beware those that go around in fine robes greeting everyone' for they are false and shall be the first in Hell. It is far easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy man to get through the gates of heaven. The meek shall inherit the earth. There are many more phrases within the New Testament where it is said that Jesus said beware being covetous basically. Help your fellow man in any way that you can. All the ones that you see prominently in the media are pretty much damned be the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, etc. They do not ttruly care for their fellow human being, but only for their own selves. I truly do not have the answers about who should lead us on this earth, but the ones who are currently leading us and the ones who have lead us in the past were not looking out for our best interests. It has been many years since the leaders of this country have truly looked out for the common good of the people. For all of you who posts things the denigrate your fellow man, it would be better not to say anything at all to these people. Let them create their own indeterminate future for none of us truly knows what comes after this life. Hope and blessings be upon you all.

David, here's the deal. God told BP that if they'd buy a meteorite then he would do something with it. So, BP did and that truck was hit by a meteorite. It was then that all the smokers rushed out to steal the gasoline which in turned cause it to burst into flames.

People, this is not about big oil, smokers, or what party affiliation God has. It was an accident. You know, those things that happen ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME? What a bunch of loons.

Hooray AmericanWarrior!!

See, no matter how many cig smokers there are in the world, how many people depend on oil, who is president, or what god you believe in--ACCIDENTS HAPPEN!! Especially in desperate areas like these villages in Africa. Its sad they had to die because of their desperation, but they knew the dangers.

Thanks, Nicky. Welcome to the 'vine, by the way!

I love it how the "community" collapsed my comment. And it said NOTHING harassing or that would otherwise violate the TnCs of NewsVine. Fine, then. LOL. Censorship at it's best. You progressives really want to support Free Speech until someone has a contrary view, then you snuff out the opposition.

You are destroying a great nation with your pseudo-magnanimity of spirit.

catzenjammer- just another original thought, huh? says it in article.Rules here should e read first, post second

I really think that is one of the reasons for this new cr@ppy format that they have started using of not showing all of the article, and requiring the "reader" to click on a button to read all of the article. Because it has become so common that so many individuals are posting here on News Vine either without reading the article beyond the second or third paragraph, or being so stupid that they read it, but then can't remember what they read for much more than ten or twenty seconds.

When I first read the article, it had just been posted and had no details. But it turned out I was right.

Reading is not the issue here but understanding what they are reading.

I don't think its a matter of not reading it or forgetting it, Gary Cooper. I think its a matter of using ANY article to rant about their misguided political beliefs all the while dragging God into the mix.

Careful, Gangularis posts (#3.2) that "a known attitudinal relationship with your audience" must be established before satire can commence. :)

lol i see, i really dropped the ball on that one

It was EVERYONE's fault but Obama's. He innocently inherited whatever mess he creates. Just ask him.

WTFman...All business people have two and only two choices to run and operate their business....honestly or dishonestly. Scheming to make a profit isn't honest. Creating positive profit targeting is. Exploiting laborers to cause a huge division that gives the employer all the power and the laborer none removes the very essence of the fundamental professional business contract between employer and laborer known and understood by intelligent human beings since the beginning of time.

If you have to scheme to make a profit, your business is exploiting someone, somewhere. Either there's something of value Walmart has to sell on an honest basis or they are just another bunch of money grubbers.

ewent:

Is it not just as scheming for workers to band together to extort higher wages from an employer and provide less services than if the individual were hired independantly ? Especially when there are many individuals who would gladly do the work, and work harder for less cost? That smells the same as any scheming a business owner would do.

Your math is horrible. .08% is equal to .0008. 3,600,000 * .0008 is 2880. That is a far cry from 223 dead and 110 injured. It is 0.00925% or 0.0000925 of the population.

There is also no sense in comparing ratios to the U.S. population to make it seem worse than it already is. It is already horrible enough, especially since so many were children.

Lissona, not only is your math bad, but your geography is off. The Democratic Republic of Congo has a population of 70.1 million. Your number is the Republic of the Congo, a much smaller neighboring country.

Maybe that's what she meant about sad--her math and mis-aimed sympathy.

Lol Kevin!

I read Lissona's post and thought no way can those figures be correct. I was just about to pull out my calculator before I read your reply.

Anyways that is some deadly math Lissona. You just killed/wounded 2,547 more people with it.

3.6 million * .0008 = 2,880

Actual casulties (based on Kevin's post) = 333

I wasn't expecting to have fun with numbers out of a tragedy but I did.

11Bravo-1955015, LOL. After reading that math, I shoud have checked the population too. Thanks for that.

You should really establish a better longitudinal relationship of geography with your audience before you get so vaugley map oriented.

LOL ! ! !

Unless there has been a serious change in the ability of humans to feel compassion, the number doesn't matter. One is too many.

Julian, it also saddens me to read some of the above comments. Some folks need to look up the meaning of compassion.

I will admit those trying to steal the fuel put themselves in danger but the majority were in their homes when disaster struck so fast they had no time to react. May they rest in peace.

...of this nation have to go...

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

Julian Sandoval..I'm not surprised at the lack of class and dignity in these comments. We now have a Daycare Generation that equates compassion and sensitivity to others as "liberalism" and God help anyone who appears to be a humanitarian these days. When you've got jerks like Glen Beck telling people to find another religion if it preaches charity, you can see how far back conservatives have set civilization.

Dansen Steve...Time for the thorazine shuffle pallie? Hey...Nurse Ratchett...you've got one missing...and who let him onto a computer?

Dansen, I normally don't eat BBQ, but since it's the 4th, I'll take outside meat, sliced.

Dude, thats awful, really! But damn.................................those meteorites are hell, aren't they?

Dansen, your post also begs another question. Does everything else taste like chicken, or does chicken taste like everything else. My theory is that chicken tastes like everything else but we eat chicken because we can eat their unborn, plus we get to use the phrase "running around like a chicken with it's head cut off." Kind of like progressive liberals. Uh oh.........here we go! He he he he.........

Ignorant...MANY are very religious, probably some Christian and Muslim and other religions. You comment is insipid! And SO what if they are die hard fans...oh I suppose no one here goes NUTS over a game...people riot here after a game when they are DRUNK and people even have gotten killed...one innocent after the World Series and the Stupid Bowl (as I call the Super Bowl) is a spectacle. We are NOT ones to talk about people going crazy over a stupid sporting event.

If ALL the teams here went bankrupt tomorrow it would not affect MY life one bit. Actually it would make it better as when championships are made it gets ear splitting moreover, it puts not ONE cent in my pocketbook NOT one. LeBron James will be offered 27 MILLION bucks, 27 MILLION OR MORE PLUS double that in endorsement. What do police, firemen, teachers make or hospital workers who clean up people refuse and have to deal with horrors every day. Not to mention all those out of a job. If it were me who made that kind of money I ABSOLUTELY without question might keep a mill and give the rest to the jobless and some back to my own country if I could. I would NEVER NEVER like so many stars have 10 homes, 14 boats, a closet of clothes to fit an army. Who needs all that. I would spread it around. And if I had business acumen which I don't...my company if it made billions I would take okay maybe 10 and distribute the rest to the people who made me the money. I totally WOULd. This culture is F*&^%$ up. A few are humane and give a lot but most do NOT!

Don't blame Lebron for being talented, people are willing to pay the ticket prices to see him play so he deserves his cut. if anything he should make more money, how much do you think the owner of the team is making? and i don't see him destroying his body for the enjoyment of spectators

Natalie, if all the sports millionaires disappeared tomorrow, it would affect you. Where would your government replace the taxes those people pay, that is re-distributed to those non-producers of our country? You will either pay more taxes or potentially receive less welfare.

suzyQ,

You have got to be kidding, This sisnt happen outside Chicago, it happened in a country where there ARE no eules about driving trucks, If you are "educated" enough to know how to drive one, you are told to drive any truck that needs moving. Speed? probablly was in a hurry to watch the World Cup like every other moronic ,mindless, sports fan.

Whats truly outrageous, is that people were running up to FLAMING fuel Oil and trying to steal some. Good thing that gene pool got thinned .

SuzyQ, the word you mean is "acceptable".

Dasvet...You clearly don't know much. People in desperate straits do whatever is necessary to live just the way you do in the country that gave you the opportunity to be a "have" and not a "have not".

When you live without electricity or other things your government rations in the smallest proportions so that the "haves" can lavish themselves, let me know.

Running towards a burnin g fuel tanker is "necessary" to live? More aptly, would be to die. My family did live with rations on certain items while my father, and his two brothers, crawled all over Europe with Gen. Patton, defending your and my country, while you received the ultimate of living in a "have" country. btw, we had no fuel if we didn't cut it, because of the war effort, and never did we steal fuel. Your bleeding heartfelt attacks against the most benevolent country the world has ever known is tiresome.

Dasvet: even if your family was dirt broke, you still had it better than many people in war torn Africna nations ruled by dictators/military juntas.

If you grew up in the US, you had access to ER rooms and you were in a country with decent infrastructure. Even the US in the Depression, was more livable than many African nations are today.

Your family history has no bearing on whether or not you can contribute anything of substance to the discussion.

My family has served in every major war since the US was founded(including the American Revolution/Civil War/WW1/WW2/Korea/Vietnam). My family was very poor at one time. So what. Millions of people have similar stories.

I do think that those killed trying to siphon gas, took a risk, and paid for it with their lives.

Theft isn't accidental. The people who died weren't killed by the truck accident. They were killed due to the fact they were trying to steal the truck's cargo.

Suzy Q:

He used to work for Exxon driving tanker ships in Alaska. Used them for a reference....!

GB

Black folks in africa? lol maybe

pw illiams and 19kilo...I know you two think your comments are witty and satirical....but they are only insensitive, boorish, and ignorant beyond measure. Just wanted to be sure that you two realize that we're all not rofl over your stupid comments.

my comment was to point out how stupid it was to ask if black people were in africa, so if you didn't get that then you are the ignorant one. as far as insensitive and boorish, i'm here to express my opinion not show compassion. if you don't like what i have to say don't read it

To 19kilo! Do everyone of us a favor, set your sorry as^ on fire and maybe you will know what those people felt, weather they were black or what, you sorry bastard

pw, just like a bus wreck in Harlem, the victims would be black/democrats.

And the red state lack of significant education continues. They'll spend millions to fatten up their politicians jelly bellies and then stint on education for the masses. Of course, we know that's the reason you cannot possibly rationalize with these people.

Dasvet...Just like the white supremacists in Atlanta, Biloxi, Memphis....must all be ultra-conservative, closet racist Republicans too spineless to admit they are bigots.

Dasvet...Ohhhhhh ...I sooooo sorry you had to defend my country. If I'd have known an insensitive clod was going to join the military I am proud of, I'd have suggested you go AWOL.

No..You don't know what you are talking about and military service doesn't preclude your know it all supremacist act.

My dad came here in 1907. Don't talk about what you don't know Mr. Entitled To Authority. I have more military people in my family than you ever will. Two died in WWII and another long before that in WWI, a great uncle. All before Mommy powdered little sweetums butt.

ewent, do you know how to drive a truck? There's a job opening for you................

It seems that the driver of the tanker was going at high speed on war-torn roads. When children and others came to the overturned tanker to salvage fuel it probably had yet to ignite. A real horror story for those who have already suffered so much with so little.

Read the article, the truck was traveling at excessive speeds...on notoriously bad roads. How many were trying to scoop oil vs those in their houses was not stated.

Playtoe...And you know what the greater sin is? That those who are their government leaders read this as just 200 less mouths to steal from. It's a known fact that in the Congo, the rebel leaders there steal anything the Red Cross or other humanitarian groups try to bring into the country in order to help those who need it. See the greed factor in this yet?

ewent

Sure I see the greed and corruption. But, those from whom all has been stolen, seeking to gather what little they can from a crashed truck and being blown away, along with those who weren't even involved but in their homes...this particular situation has a lot to do with greed and corruption indirectly, but directly this is a tragedy, that any compassionate heart should recognize.

Someone mentioned it exploded possibly because one of those gathering fuel was "smoking a cigarette"! I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't one of the greedy and corrupt group, hating to see them have any fuel, that throw a match! But, the ignorant will always suggest the most ignorant ideas!

Playtoe..I think you might be right. It's such a shame that in countries in Africa, the leadership is so violent and addicted to control that they go to any lengths, including ignoring basic human rights to keep control in their hands.

I was listening last week to clip on NPR from a Nigerian woman who had been raped so many times by the Nigerian military that she had to be hospitalized. I know this sounds bizarre, but she said that Nigerian women have no rights and it's be raped or be killed. I cannot imagine such unspeakable inhumanity.

It's why Hillary Clinton's international involvement with women's rights has at least helped some women from being maimed by female circumsion.

Wow! No problem.

Now I kind of feel bad for the post I made.

No problem, take care.

Listen, about the math issue. I think you have all made a mistake. I don't have a calculator in front of me at the moment, but we can do some rounding and get a quick approximation. Using the above quoted values that have been tossed around:

If the Congo population is approx. 3 million and our population is approx 300 million, that is a factor of 100. A US version of the death toll would be 100 x 200 = 20,000 (not 2,000) (approx.)

Take another toke, self-proclaimed Stud. Apparently you need a bump.

Actually, that's not all together a bad idea. I'm out. You guys have fun; it's a holiday and I've had about all the stupidity blizzards I can handle for one weekend. Enjoy your holiday guys; God bless.

Actually it happened in Congo not Sudan, so you madame are the idiot

Elizabeth..Maybe not idiots. Mostly classless and ignorant. Something in this country has changed when it comes to people maintaining their dignity and sense of class. But, what can you expect from those raised by strangers from infancy in daycare centers into their young adulthood? This is now the "Mc" generation. Nourished on Mcburgers and Mcpizza, dressed in the most current Mcclothing all while McMommy and McDaddy work overtime to hang onto a McMansion they can't afford and a lifestyle that they think will get them a seat in heaven.

Playtoe...Actually, since the early days of discovery of Black Gold in the US, scientists have known it's dangers. Man's folly is also man's defeat.

ewent,Oil probably enabled you to get to work, if you've ever worked, eat, clothes, etc,Give us an alternative to oil that is feasible before many decades pass. Electric cars are bs, solar power/windpower will never be more than fifteen percent of our fuel needs. Not my words, scientific folks. Anyway, do you want to continue on your great military history? It is so fascinating. To discuss my personal military history with you would be something I would never attempt.. With your anti-american bias I am sure any awards that I may have received would be classified as a war crime by an uninformed dolt as you appear to be, by your own words.

The american way? hmmm..... slavery, manifest destiny, japanese internment, using the a-bomb when the war was all but won already, invasions based on lies.... but sure i guess my comments were what pushed the country over the edge morally

19kilo Just shut the hell up and take your head out of your As^...

guess what douchebag it's a public forum, if you don't like what others are saying then leave.

19kilo...Didn't daycare teach you there's a time and place for everything? You have freedom of speech but there's something attached to that...responsibility for what you speak.

good point ewent, however freedom of speech applies to everything not just PC stuff. either everything is off limits or nothing is.

D,

That's the same reason why Limbaugh and Beck are as popular as they are.

yubazoo, if you watched Glenn and listened to Rush you'd be a hell of alot smarter than you are now. Girlie man.

Wow, Dem, way to generalize the ENTIRE AMERICAN POPULATION based on a few posts on a MSNBC website. When you post: "Americans are so ignorant and plain stupid", I think you're just talking to yourself in the mirror.

And for your info, the ENTIRE WORLD POPULATION doesnt view America in a negative light.

Counseling may be needed in your life, sweets.

Commons Sense 1

"What large flames....." etc. that was STUPID. just plain STUPID.