Gross negligence has consequences: American Airline Crash
I wasn't alarmed when I saw the MSNBC "breaking news" tag with the familiar suspense three-chord blurb; it was probably the latest bout of insanity from our president or another inconceivable cabinet pick, but it was different this time. Very different.
It was an American airline crash in a mid-air collision over the Potomac River. An American Eagle collided with an army helicopter, killing all passengers as the fiery wreckage plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac. But even though we know accidents will happen, there is a difference to this tragedy. The minute I looked at the footage, I knew it was related to the chaotic political times we are trailing. It is an ominous sign announcing a new and terrifying trend for our nation. That gross negligence and recklessness have consequences, and chaos generates chaos.
"First, unlike our president, I didn't write this post to politicize this tragedy. It deeply saddens me to see such pain and suffering it has caused the family and friends of those who perished."
I could not help but reflect on how easy it is to disrupt and dismantle rather than construct and achieve social stability. This made me remember how fragile our precarious balance is and that one ill-conceived action can generate a chain reaction that could take years to revert. I was sad to watch the beginning of the possible unraveling of our society happening right before our eyes as the new administration continued efforts to dismantle our government and our safety nets.
I reflect on the absurdity of our situation. A country that has enthusiastically elected a felon for president, a man who intends to do harm. In his own words, he aims to avenge himself against those who did him wrong and dismantle our government. To achieve this ill-conceived agenda, he hires the most unqualified heads of state in an attempt to drive these agencies to failure—a cowardly act of violence against all of us.
Sean Duffy, the former reality TV star turned transportation secretary, was asked Thursday morning to make a pronouncement about the American airline crash, the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years, and this is what he said:
“I don’t want to go into too much detail about the information we have from the FAA, but obviously, it is not standard to have aircraft collide. I want to be clear on that.”
You can Judge whether this statement makes any sense or is even appropriate in the face of such tragedy. But this individual will be in charge of monitoring our traffic air controllers and our transportation complex. A man with hardly any experience for the job he was hired. Gross negligence has consequences.
The firing of our civil workers
But disruptions started way before statements like this could have been produced. Our extracurricular presidential advisor and the man who purchased the presidency for him and other billionaires, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, literally forced the former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Michael Whitaker, to resign from his position on January 20 after throwing his powers and demanded he quit. This left the agency without a Senate-confirmed leader during a major crisis after the D.C. plane crash. Mr. Whitaker resigned under duress.
Musk called for Whitaker’s resignation in September after the FAA chief proposed fining Musk’s company, SpaceX, over $600,000 in civil penalties for failing to follow license requirements during two launches in 2023. Mr. Whitaker was doing his job protecting the public.
The FAA had to divert air traffic when Mr. Musk's Starship exploded in a shower of debris falling into the water. The FAA only does this when rocket debris falls outside a designated hazard area. But debris fell just off Texas’ coast, too.
"The public safety of millions is being compromised so a few billionaires can line their pockets with more billions, which does not make America great." When billionairs are allowed to buy an election and tell the federal government what to do simply because they can buy the federal governement, people die.
Hiring freezes have immediate consequences?
Our commander-in-chief has introduced a "dangerous" federal hiring freeze. It has led to the dismissal of the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard. Additionally, a vital aviation safety advisory committee has been dismantled. This situation unfolded just days before the tragic collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter.
In addition, our president swiftly restructured the Department of Homeland Security. He dismissed the leaders of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard before the end of their terms and disbanded all members of a crucial aviation security advisory group.
A memo informed Aviation Security Advisory Committee members that the department is eliminating all advisory committee memberships as part of its commitment to reducing resource misuse.
The mid-air American airline crash happened only ten days after our president signed an executive order freezing the hiring of Federal civilian employees. The order specified that no vacant positions would be filled after January 20, and no new position would be created. He was warned that this move could lead to aviation accidents. The president ignored all warnings.
FAA employees confirm that the agency already lacks sufficient air traffic controllers. "According to the entire aviation industry, Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue."
It is hard to say whether the American airline crash over the Potomac River directly resulted from the tumultuous administration changes and the president's executive orders. However, it is clear that not hiring enough traffic air controllers, issuing draconian hiring freezes, and letting billionaires create public policies will surely end up in disaster.
The American Airlines crash-type disaster could happen again if we don't take action, and similar horrible outcomes such as terrorist attacks as another 0/11 could happen. Also, similar disasters could occur in all other government branches that incompetent leaders are leading. Agriculture, construction, health, and homeland security could have dark days ahead if we keep dismantling our government created to protect us.
Comments