Punishing BP: 6 brutal proposals

Commentators are calling for heads to roll at BP — literally, in some cases — over its disastrous Gulf oil spill. What's the appropriate penalty?

How should BP pay for the oil spill in the Gulf?
(Image credit: Flickr)

Eleven people are dead and the Gulf of Mexico has become ground zero of America's worst-ever oil spill. Who's to blame? In the eyes of most commentators, BP tops the list. More than a month after the Deepwater Horizon blew up and crude began spewing into sea, almost three quarters of Americans say BP is doing a "poor" or "very poor" job dealing with the accident, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll, and calls to punish the oil giant are gaining in volume. But what's the right penalty? Here are six disciplinary options that have been floated by pundits and advocacy groups:

1. Make BP pay and pay and pay

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