You may have heard the hub-bub caused this week by the chairman of BP, Karl-Henrik Svanberg of Sweden who, in expressing his regrets over the situation in the Gulf of Mexico, referred to the residents there as the “small people” for whom the oil giant is so very concerned.  While he later apologized for having been clumsy in choosing the wrong word (perhaps something got lost in translation from the Swedish) (which can so easily happen!), there were no words to reverse the damage that had already been done.  The “small people” of the Gulf — the taxpayers, the small-business owners, all those who depend upon the Gulf for their livelihood — responded in a big way — being certain Mr. Svanberg ate every letter of his misspoken words.

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