Slashdot Mirror
Airbus A380 Under Fire
jose parinas writes "The security of the Airbus A380 jetliner is questioned by a U.S. Engineer that faces arrest and bankruptcy in Austria. A year ago, Mangan told European aviation authorities that he believed there were problems with a computer chip on the Airbus A380, the biggest and costliest commercial airliner ever built."
You are grossly underestimating the significance of this struggle. As an economic superpower, the EU is a potential threat to the US, economically, and militarily, which are both really the same thing. They are tied to eachother. If Airbus "wins" and becomes the dominant large aircraft builder in the world, Boeing, a major US military contractor goes down. And then where does the US have to turn to get large aircraft like tankers, transports, etc.
Air Dominance is the most important aspect of military conflicts, since about 1942. And Industrial Dominance has been the most important aspect for a lot longer.
This is an interesting issue for Free Market folks in the US, because if the Free Market were allowed to work, who knows who would win. But without sweetheart military contracts, both companies would be in a world of hurt right now. It's also no conicidence that Osama Bin Laden chose the US air industry as his target. Both with counter-hijak safety, and from a fueling standpoint.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
As a foreign engineer working in Vienna, I think this guy is about as dumb as a box of rocks. For a start, you don't mess around with the legal system [t]here -- especially the contempt of court issue, which resulted from him posting about a sub judice matter on his blog. Second, he should have listened to his first lawyer, who suggested he leave the country, and drop the matter. Anyone failing to heed advice from legal professionals which they pay for is only buying themselves trouble. Thirdly, the guy is a Baptist Churchgoer -- which tells me he's not very bright. I have yet to meet anyone who is both "super smart" and believes in the classical Christian God -- any rational analysis would lead to questioning of that type of faith. (I'm not exempting Islam, Hinduism or any other mainstream religious belief from this general observation. Heck, he probably believes in a Creation myth too!)
After all, any "super smart" guy knows that Pastafarianism is the One True Path -- all hail the FSM!
Having said the above, I still feel there is a place for "whistle-blower" laws, and am surprised to hear that they don't exist in Austria.
Paul Gillingwater
MBA, CISSP, CISM