I applaud your article on the Alaska Airlines crash. It doesn't matter whether you talk airlines, bus companies, clothing or anything. The continued application of free market principles lead to mediocre or inferior products and services. In the case of clothing, your shirt just wears out more quickly. In the case of transport and airlines, you may get killed.
There need to be more global standards and regulation of airlines so that totally preventable tragedies like the Alaska Airlines crash don't happen. I speak with some authority having been in the aviation business for over 20 years. Unfortunately, many of the people who staff the regulators have little or no background in the industry at a commercial level. They have to understand the business to regulate it and to understand where airlines and operators cut corners which they most certainly do given any opportunity.
TC
6 March 2000
I just read an interesting article re. Alaska Airlines. Excellent article! I too, did not happen to see these reports. As a nurse, who this past decade has worked in several for profit (corporate) organizations, have seen how standards are being relaxed in the name of profit ($$$$$). I see it happening to our public schools and publicly aided health care (clinics, hospitals, and other services.). A comptroller once told me that "We don't give the best quality care. We give good care and you will see other hospitals soon following suit". OK. How does a nurse, educated to do and give her/his best handle this? I don't know. I can't help but to think that sometimes patient care is risked. Not always, mind you, but at times. Just like Alaska Airlines jeopardized it's trustees/airlines passengers and staff and their families lives. I want to thank you for titling this article so as not to frighten me from reading because it came from a socialist paper... As, I hope, unrealistic as it is, having been raised in the 50's in the US, the name "Socialist..." still scares me! I will be rewriting this letter (filling in info re. your article) to send to families, friends, government politicians and our local newspaper.
Thank you.
BB
6 March 2000
I have just read an excellent piece written about the Alaskan airlines crash. The Internet may not be the most valued source of news, but I am happy that it is a little more critical than the established print and visual media that claims to inform in a nonbiased fashion.
Keep up the good work.
DS
7 March 2000
The Alaska Airlines crash: signs point to a wider crisis in air safety
[19 February 2000]