Friday, August 18, 2017

No Mercy from the US Navy for the Officers of USS Fitzgerald

The reaction by the US Navy to the negligence by the officers of USS Fitzgerald may seem ruthless but it was vital to maintain the highest quality in their officers, something we see rarely in other human endeavors.  (New York Times:  Top Two Officers on Navy Ship in Deadly Collision Off Japan to Be Relieved of Duties)


Damage to the commanding officer’s stateroom on the American destroyer Fitzgerald, which collided with a cargo ship near Japan in June. 

Credit U.S. Navy


The US Navy takes the view on this I take for car crashes in which there are no accidents:  there is only incompetence or equipment failure.

Note:  if you have any different attitude, you will never survive on big bikes or even little ones, for that matter.  I nearly didn't.


In the case of the Fitzgerald, a dozen sailors will lose their careers and that even includes enlisted sailors which makes it more unusual.  We often hear of a Captain being relieved of command after an incident but the crash was much more severe than most and the Navy will remove more than I have heard for any previously as a result.


The US Navy's determination to ensure quality is remarkable because it's so rare.  Art is one of the few areas of human engagement which is so ruthless since if you suck then you die.  Sport is another since the public only loves your last home run or your last touch down.

In politics, the worse you suck the longer you last and Washington is full of more geriatric garbanzos than the Campbell's Bean Company.  Unsurprisingly, they produce exactly the same thing.

Zen Yogi:  flatulence?

That's the thing, Yogi.  Don't ever light a match around them.

In corporate life, even if you suck as a CEO you still get a monstrous exit bonus.  The women who ran Yahoo into ground all got departing bonuses in the millions.

Conversely ...

In small private business, you're dead as soon as you miss a payment.  They will foreclose your place, put you in jail, and kill your dog.


Quality control is pride and that sounds like a bumper sticker but it's still true.  If you have no pride in what you're doing then, fuck it, quality doesn't matter.

Victoria:  if you care about the quality of your writing then why marginalize it with vulgarity like that?

I tell you what, Vickie, ya coquettish li'l chippie ... I use the language at my command and it will not be draped with gentility to mask the majority's mendacity ... so just what are you hiding under all those layers of lace.

Victoria:  well, I never!

You bet you'll never, y'll Queen Liver-lipped Troutbottom.


Ed:  you badmouth the military routinely!

Well, hopefully I do it more than routinely due to my (cough) vast lexical strengths but the more salient point is I don't badmouth the soldiers.

Ed:  what about CIA?

They're not soldiers; they're mercs.  It's a public service when anyone whacks a merc.

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