Sparky Kronkite
Spam Eater Extraordinare'
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2000
- Posts
- 8,921
Yeah, sometimes shit simply happens. Strange and mysterious "events" take place. They may be totally inexplicable. Sometimes, routines are rehearsed, over and over again - and something fails.
For sure - most often "people" are the cause - somebody fucks up - it's human error.
But when lightning strikes - when a tragedy occurs - and "a root cause must be found and somebody must be punished" - when "skapgoatism" takes place - I find the real tragedy to be.........
That "good men" - and yes, "those few good men" - and most often, "the best men on the planet" - get fucked.
Yep, that's the nature of the game - it goes with the territory. If you might be one of those few good men - or any man - or anybody for that matter - you've got to keep in the back of your mind that lighting may strike and you may have to take the brunt of other's frustration and consternation. You may even have to chin up and admit to something you know is not true.
But, I still think that it's too bad - and very, very sad.
Captains of US subs are - by far and away - some of your most responsible, reliable, anal, intelligent, educated people on our planet. And I'm certain the Captain of the US sub that struck the Japanese fishing ship was a man like this.
Yes, lightning does strike. Investigations need to happen, we must attempt to find the cause, the answer - in order to prevent or aid in prevention.
It's just too bad the "criminal attention" and "evil focus" takes place toward "the most visible" person involved when these things happen. Notice I said "criminal" attention. It's one thing to "take responsibility" and yet another to "take criminal responsibility."
Today the first civilians offered their accounts as to what happened on the bridge of that sub. And they say that they did not see anything other than the utmost in professionalism on board that vessel at all times. I believe them. Sub commanders and sub crewmembers aren't slouches - it's hard to even get on board a sub - even if you're a cook. The civilians said, and again, I believe them - that the Captain himself did three 360 degree survey's with the periscope before commencing the emergency surfacing.
So why didn't he see anything? I don't know for sure of course but - there were pretty healthy swells at the time (so much so that the sub could not open the necessary hatches to launch rubber survival craft after the crash) and - as big as a 190 foot boat may seem to us, siting in our Lazy Boys at home - on the surface of a swelling ocean - it's not very big. Through mere coincidence - that boat could have been hidden by a swell "all three times" the Captain passed by it with the periscope.
The civilians said the Captain was as surprised as anybody - but made an announcement for everyone to keep calm, to hold down the adrenaline - he ordered rescue operations to commence immediately. He took clear, calm, rational control - immediately - just as he had been trained to do.
So if somebody's got to burn at the stake on this - and just let's say, let's pretend that it's not the Captain (although he will surely burn) who might that be?
I say the policy makers back at the Pentagon. The policy makers who promote civilian joy rides - which is exactly what this was.
Why?
Simply because - it's not necessary - and it does pose potential problem in a critical, technical and professional arena, one in which the civilians are highly unfamiliar and also - it costs tax payers money. And now in this case it has cost lives and created an international incident of no small caliber.
The fact is - if civilian joy rides were not a part of Navy policy - this would have decreased by far, the potential for this kind of thing happening. The sub would probably not have been too close to land and in shipping lanes. It would have been further out. Who knows maybe this particular "training exercise" might have been scheduled "around the civilian visit" but I don't know that - yet.
Remember - the Captain is ordered to take these folks out and show them a good time - he's ordered from above - ordered via policy he has probably had not any part in. He is but a pawn.
It's likely the Captain himself thought these joy rides to be a waist of time at the very least, and he could have thought of them as risking disaster at the very worst. But when you're a soldier you do as you're ordered.
Now, the Captain - following an order from above - an order forwarded through policy and policy makers - he will find himself the center of attention. He will get fucked.
I say this is sad, this is too fucking bad. Another good man burned by the very system that created him.
I hate the fucking system - because the good guys get fucked and the real bad guys get away.
If you think that's justice - you are fucking blind.
For sure - most often "people" are the cause - somebody fucks up - it's human error.
But when lightning strikes - when a tragedy occurs - and "a root cause must be found and somebody must be punished" - when "skapgoatism" takes place - I find the real tragedy to be.........
That "good men" - and yes, "those few good men" - and most often, "the best men on the planet" - get fucked.
Yep, that's the nature of the game - it goes with the territory. If you might be one of those few good men - or any man - or anybody for that matter - you've got to keep in the back of your mind that lighting may strike and you may have to take the brunt of other's frustration and consternation. You may even have to chin up and admit to something you know is not true.
But, I still think that it's too bad - and very, very sad.
Captains of US subs are - by far and away - some of your most responsible, reliable, anal, intelligent, educated people on our planet. And I'm certain the Captain of the US sub that struck the Japanese fishing ship was a man like this.
Yes, lightning does strike. Investigations need to happen, we must attempt to find the cause, the answer - in order to prevent or aid in prevention.
It's just too bad the "criminal attention" and "evil focus" takes place toward "the most visible" person involved when these things happen. Notice I said "criminal" attention. It's one thing to "take responsibility" and yet another to "take criminal responsibility."
Today the first civilians offered their accounts as to what happened on the bridge of that sub. And they say that they did not see anything other than the utmost in professionalism on board that vessel at all times. I believe them. Sub commanders and sub crewmembers aren't slouches - it's hard to even get on board a sub - even if you're a cook. The civilians said, and again, I believe them - that the Captain himself did three 360 degree survey's with the periscope before commencing the emergency surfacing.
So why didn't he see anything? I don't know for sure of course but - there were pretty healthy swells at the time (so much so that the sub could not open the necessary hatches to launch rubber survival craft after the crash) and - as big as a 190 foot boat may seem to us, siting in our Lazy Boys at home - on the surface of a swelling ocean - it's not very big. Through mere coincidence - that boat could have been hidden by a swell "all three times" the Captain passed by it with the periscope.
The civilians said the Captain was as surprised as anybody - but made an announcement for everyone to keep calm, to hold down the adrenaline - he ordered rescue operations to commence immediately. He took clear, calm, rational control - immediately - just as he had been trained to do.
So if somebody's got to burn at the stake on this - and just let's say, let's pretend that it's not the Captain (although he will surely burn) who might that be?
I say the policy makers back at the Pentagon. The policy makers who promote civilian joy rides - which is exactly what this was.
Why?
Simply because - it's not necessary - and it does pose potential problem in a critical, technical and professional arena, one in which the civilians are highly unfamiliar and also - it costs tax payers money. And now in this case it has cost lives and created an international incident of no small caliber.
The fact is - if civilian joy rides were not a part of Navy policy - this would have decreased by far, the potential for this kind of thing happening. The sub would probably not have been too close to land and in shipping lanes. It would have been further out. Who knows maybe this particular "training exercise" might have been scheduled "around the civilian visit" but I don't know that - yet.
Remember - the Captain is ordered to take these folks out and show them a good time - he's ordered from above - ordered via policy he has probably had not any part in. He is but a pawn.
It's likely the Captain himself thought these joy rides to be a waist of time at the very least, and he could have thought of them as risking disaster at the very worst. But when you're a soldier you do as you're ordered.
Now, the Captain - following an order from above - an order forwarded through policy and policy makers - he will find himself the center of attention. He will get fucked.
I say this is sad, this is too fucking bad. Another good man burned by the very system that created him.
I hate the fucking system - because the good guys get fucked and the real bad guys get away.
If you think that's justice - you are fucking blind.
