[SystemSafety] Off Topic

[Tom Ferrell]

Just a quick note from across the pond.  I am stunned that voters in the UK have taken this action, and I fear it is a precedent for what may happen in our own election in the fall.

Food for thought:  In terms of our actual work as engineering designees for the FAA and occasionally certification verification designees for European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), my partner and I spend a fair amount of our time making sure we understand and maintain currency with the regulatory regime on both sides of the Atlantic.  While we do not always agree with their approach to various topics, we would tell you that EASA is pretty clear about what they expect, transparent with draft and final guidance (via their website), and responsive in answering questions via email and phone.  Having that one-stop shop is very helpful when working an avionics or flight control systems, especially where new and novel technology is involved.  Prior to the creation of EASA, those of us doing this job had to work with various state agencies such as the UK CAA or the French DGAC.  Even though these agencies operated under a loose confederation known as the Joint Airworthiness Authorities (JAA), final decisions for any given project had to be coordinated/agreed to by individual state representatives.  Rules varied, interpretations varied, responsiveness and cooperation varied.  If you subscribe to the view (as I do) that variation is a major enemy to quality (and dare I say safety), a return to this type environment, even for just one of the former EASA partner states (and a home to many major aerospace companies), we are very likely going in the wrong direction where the flying public's safety is involved.  One more note: earlier this year (literally about two and half months ago), agreements (in work for years) were finally struck that setup FULL bilateral recognition of certification work done here being accepted in Europe and vice versa.  One step forward and one big step backward...    

-----Original Message-----
From: systemsafety [mailto:systemsafety-bounces at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de] On Behalf Of Michael J. Pont
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2016 3:04 PM
To: systemsafety at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de
Subject: Re: [SystemSafety] Off Topic


Peter,

This is a very sad day for many of us in what is (at least at present) the UK.

Some of us perhaps deserve your "factoid" (but not all of us do).

Many of us are suffering a sense of what feels like bereavement - where do you go when your country leaves you? 

(Only after that do you start to consider what is going to happen to your business, your pension, etc.)

All the best,

Michael.

-----Original Message-----
From: systemsafety
[mailto:systemsafety-bounces at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de] On Behalf Of Peter Bernard Ladkin
Sent: 24 June 2016 19:43
To: systemsafety at lists.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de
Subject: Re: [SystemSafety] Off Topic

On 2016-06-24 09:42 , Andreoli, Kevin (UK) wrote:
> "As ye sow, so shall ye reap"
> 
> Hollande, Merkel and their predecessors sowed intransigence and have
reaped yesterday's vote in the UK.

Intransigence in not being ready to change the founding documents, the Treaties of Rome and Maasstricht, on the basis of a request from one member out of 27 signatories? I would hope so.
That's the role which founding documents are supposed to play.

In any case, if it's true that their intransigence led to yesterday's vote, then both of them should be celebrating wildly, because they no longer even have to listen to the request.

But the champagne corks are not popping in Paris and Berlin.

The factoid making the rounds in Bielefeld today (in and out of academic
circles) is that UK Google searches for "Brexit" remained low until late last night, and then spiked. The conclusion people draw is that Britons voted, and when they got home they looked up what they had just done. That does not bode well for the tenor of exit negotiations. Neither does the sight of British football hooligans trashing Marseille (again), shouting
"f*** you, we're out" and two weeks later having that happen.

The other conclusion being drawn is something learnt in Germany 80 years ago, and whose current constitution expressly forbids. Don't "decide" major political issues by referendum. You can't plan for what you'll get, voters often don't know what they are voting for, and you have to act on it right away. Also, referenda enable power distortion. Farage can't get elected to parliament. But he can get the Prime Minister to resign, change the course of Britain's economic development for at least the next twenty years, and (wait for it) break up the Union.

According to the stats, it would not be amiss to put the result down to selfish old people who don't care a fig about the young.

It is amiss, though to put the result down to Tory "Little Englanders", as Martin McGuinness did and Tim Farron hinted. 44% of McGuinness's populace voted for Brexit and obviously none of them are Tory "Little Englanders".

PBL

Prof. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Bielefeld, Germany MoreInCommon Je suis Charlie
Tel+msg +49 (0)521 880 7319  www.rvs-bi.de






_______________________________________________
The System Safety Mailing List
systemsafety at TechFak.Uni-Bielefeld.DE