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From: paul@axiom.UUCP (Paul O`Shaughnessy)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.space
Subject: Re: Morton-Thiokol Engineering Claims
Message-ID: <179@axiom.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 01:46:56 EST
Article-I.D.: axiom.179
Posted: Tue Mar  4 01:46:56 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 06:40:42 EST
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Organization: Axiom Technology, Newton MA
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Xref: watmath net.columbia:2568 net.space:6227

>TENDER THEIR RESIGNATIONS...

Strong stuff, and engineers as well as society might be better off
if they stuck to their guns more often and did not give in.  Unfortunately,
the reward structure in the military and aerospace industry of the USA
is slightly f**ked up.  Engineers (or accountants, or anybody) who make
too much fuss over fraud, be it financial or technical, are labelled as
troublemakers and blacklisted.  The long arm of government is employed to
destroy these people's careers in detail.  It is an atmosphere in which 
even the courageous must pause and consider if THIS is the issue upon 
which they will ruin their livelihood.  Contrary to rumor, engineers 
ain't rich.  They also must consider whether their calculations and 
intuition are correct, AND they must consider the effect of their action
(resignation, for example).  If one or a couple of engineers had resigned
in protest, and even gone to the press with stories of sloppy decisions
in the program, I doubt that the politicians would have respected their
actions any more than they presently respect those who, at some risk, 
criticize useless or dangerous weapons systems.  The shuttle would have 
flown anyway.

I strongly agree with Mr. Spencer's sentiments, but doubt that much will 
change while engineers can gaze at the ruined careers of those who did
speak up.