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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.columbia,net.space
Subject: Re: Morton-Thiokol Engineering Claims
Message-ID: <6474@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Mar-86 17:28:21 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6474
Posted: Thu Mar  6 17:28:21 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Mar-86 17:28:21 EST
References: <1301@decwrl.DEC.COM> <758@ism780c.UUCP> <6442@utzoo.UUCP>, <1439@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 16

> It seems agreed by all that the engineers protested and were overruled
> by "management."  Assumption of responsibility is the commodity
> purchased by those big salaries paid to industrial managers...

As the Napoleon quote pointed out (in military terms because that was
Napoleon's profession), "I was just following orders" is not an ethical
excuse for acquiescing to a decision you know is wrong.

> ...It's not so easy if you're the
> engineer and you know that your press conference will cost you not only
> your job but very likely your chances for another job...

The lack of that press conference cost the Challenger crew their lives.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry