8 Comments

My husband retired from Boeing in 2004. Before that time, he worked in assembly. Back then every station of work on the plane had an inspector that had to “sign off” on the integrity of the work done at that particular assembly point. Then they eliminated the line inspectors right around the time he left. I thought to myself that this was a stupid move and that they’d eventually pay for doing it.

It was “not cost efficient” to leave them in place, Boeing said. It “wasn’t necessary” to have line inspectors. The “inspectors” that examined all of the plane at the end were good enough.

Evidently, the “decision-makers” assumed that every single person in assembly had the enthusiasm and ethics to perform their work well just to support the good, old Boeing Company. All of us know there are good people who are competent at what they do and don’t have to always have to have someone hanging over their shoulder watching them and then there’s everyone else who just doesn’t give a sh*t about what they’re doing.

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I've been fascinated by what I've decided to call the 'KFC Affect': An initial array of offerings, or the size, quality or variety of a product is gradually cut back, until a minimum of recognizability is maintained to keep the traditional customer on the hook. E.G., the weight of a portion (a candy bar, or a box of cereal). KFC once had many more 'sides', and yummy dessert tarts, gave out honey with the biscuit, and what happened to the moist towelette? Same thing here: What can we get away with? ..

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If ever an industry needed to prioritize safety over profit, it’s aircraft manufacturers! And with 2023

being the safest year ever to fly, Boeing needs to work hard to bolster confidence from the flying public! Profit over people can quietly spell doom! Thanks Nick

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Anyone seeing NA's cool toon will (wisely) not Ever get on an airplane again. But the serious point is How toxic & bloody dangerous Greed is. Ety of Greed 'a sickness, a disease for having';

'voracious, hungry to obtain; excessively eager desire to possess,' c. 1600, https://nickanderson.substack.com/ @nick_anderson_

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I think Boeing executives need to be put on a Boeing 737 and flown all around the country

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Nonstop SeaTac to Sydney, OZ.

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It's criminal to cut corners for profit when there are lives at stake. There is no excuse for cutting quality control!

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I believe that philosophy is a required subject at the Ivy Business schools, churning out MBA Bean Counters z after surgically removing their morality.

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