| The Kensington Review |
15 July 2005 |
| Latest Commentary: | Volume IV, Number 84 |
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FAA Drags Feet on Jet Fuel Tank Safety -- Not all important politics in America is decided at the ballot box or on the floor of the House or Senate. A matter that affects every airline passenger has been stalled at the Federal Aviation Administration for almost nine years. The National Transportation Safety Board has suggested rule changes that would prevent a fuel tank explosion like that which destroyed TWA Flight 800 over Long Island, New York almost a decade ago. The FAA has resorted to a bureaucratic defense, “It is better to have a proposed rule that is correct and makes sense than to have one that gets out the door too early.” This is criminal negligence posing as prudence.
London Bombers Follow McVeigh Model -- Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his “shock” that the four suicide bombers who loused up London’s commute last week were British-born. In the Bush-Blair war on terror, there are the good guys (first personal plural) and the bad guys (third person very plural). The revelation that these wankers were thought of as “us” rather than “them” messes up the prejudices about the enemy. But it need not have been so. All four seem to fit the Timothy McVeigh template. Ebbers' Sentence Shows Times Have Changed for the Better -- Bernie Ebbers got a 25-year sentence on Wednesday for his role in the WorldCom collapse. As CEO, he oversaw the rise and spectacular fall of the company that resulted in an $11 billion bankruptcy – the largest in American business history. At 63, the sentence amounts to a life-term since parole in the Federal system is not an option. While some may argue that this is too harsh, no one can argue that, for white-collar criminals, times have changed. Things are better for the law-abiding investment public. NHL Owners and Players Make a Deal -- Ice hockey news shouldn’t happen in July. But since the National Hockey League couldn’t figure out a way to play the 2004-2005 season, anything that resembles progress toward playing ever again is worth a line or two. Word from the negotiating table is that the owners and the players have found a way to carve up the monetary pie. While ratification is still needed by both sides, the dumbest strike in sports history might be at an end. © Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux. |
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