Oh, FCO bloody L.
Higgins - “It (ATSB) has abandoned that claim, without acknowledging it has done so or explaining why.”
That one sentence, (IMO) so typifies the instinctive, automatic response of all and sundry to anything Beakeresque the ATSB do; all thanks to Dolan. It takes one to the very heart of Australian embarrassment; the action taken so typifies the underhanded, disingenuous antics we have, regrettably, come to expect; not just in regard to 370, but to almost every ATSB investigation conducted over the past few years.
I am not certain from whom the Princess is taking advice these days; or, even if there is an option on rejecting that advice. There should be. I cannot imagine anyone, let alone Hood being so terminally ‘thick’ as to believe that a major shift in stance would go unnoticed. Why give the critics a free kick? Why place the ATSB in a dim light – yet again?
OK – so ATSB no longer have a ‘consensus’; there is reasonable, supported doubt about an element which could, possibly, affect the search. So what? What’s so wrong with just telling it like it is – “the search is dynamic and; there is some healthy academic disagreement related to the end point”. “We no longer have a 100% consensus, but the majority maintain support for the present search area”. “This does not imply that the search is incorrectly located or that any new evidence has been provided which could radically change the area considered as ‘most probable’.” “The change simply means that as part of the on going, vigorous discussion the notion of reasonable doubt is being accommodated and acknowledged”.
Without empirical evidence, what else can be reasonably said? The ATSB is no more and no less right than any of the other serious groups analysing the scant data provided. Opinions vary, endless discussion and testing of ‘theory’ is very much part of the daily grind to determine the where and the why of 370. Even Foley, the man in charge, expressed some doubts and why would he not; there are many to choose from. But, as he said on RNZ; they are working as best they may, with the highest probability option in a bloody big ocean. Lots of genuine wriggle room there. I would have thought that a ‘lack of consensus’ was inevitable; so why, Oh why try to hide it? If there was no doubt then the aircraft would have been found by now: the longer the search produces no evidence, the more room for doubt must exist. Indeed, there is room for doubt; there is space for speculation; there is ample contradiction; so why exclude reasonable doubt? Why undo the good work done on RNZ? Foley must be kicking Badgers.
P2 – “Oh Hoody, get rid of that web page mate and stop being so bloody sensitive, the ATSB remit is not meant to include self-righteous, sanctimonious media propaganda. Remember this mantra..."Without fear nor favour"-
Princess Hood needs to be less sensitive to media speculation and more sensitive to repairing the reputation of his outfit. Beaker trashed it; and, left a trail of disgust and suspicion in his wake. Honest, straight talk kept to a minimum will help with repairs; any whiff of obfuscation or sleight of hand has more potential to irreparably damage the ATSB international and domestic reputation than not finding MH 370 ever will.
There, glad I got that off my chest; feel much better now.
Toot toot.
Higgins - “It (ATSB) has abandoned that claim, without acknowledging it has done so or explaining why.”
That one sentence, (IMO) so typifies the instinctive, automatic response of all and sundry to anything Beakeresque the ATSB do; all thanks to Dolan. It takes one to the very heart of Australian embarrassment; the action taken so typifies the underhanded, disingenuous antics we have, regrettably, come to expect; not just in regard to 370, but to almost every ATSB investigation conducted over the past few years.
I am not certain from whom the Princess is taking advice these days; or, even if there is an option on rejecting that advice. There should be. I cannot imagine anyone, let alone Hood being so terminally ‘thick’ as to believe that a major shift in stance would go unnoticed. Why give the critics a free kick? Why place the ATSB in a dim light – yet again?
OK – so ATSB no longer have a ‘consensus’; there is reasonable, supported doubt about an element which could, possibly, affect the search. So what? What’s so wrong with just telling it like it is – “the search is dynamic and; there is some healthy academic disagreement related to the end point”. “We no longer have a 100% consensus, but the majority maintain support for the present search area”. “This does not imply that the search is incorrectly located or that any new evidence has been provided which could radically change the area considered as ‘most probable’.” “The change simply means that as part of the on going, vigorous discussion the notion of reasonable doubt is being accommodated and acknowledged”.
Without empirical evidence, what else can be reasonably said? The ATSB is no more and no less right than any of the other serious groups analysing the scant data provided. Opinions vary, endless discussion and testing of ‘theory’ is very much part of the daily grind to determine the where and the why of 370. Even Foley, the man in charge, expressed some doubts and why would he not; there are many to choose from. But, as he said on RNZ; they are working as best they may, with the highest probability option in a bloody big ocean. Lots of genuine wriggle room there. I would have thought that a ‘lack of consensus’ was inevitable; so why, Oh why try to hide it? If there was no doubt then the aircraft would have been found by now: the longer the search produces no evidence, the more room for doubt must exist. Indeed, there is room for doubt; there is space for speculation; there is ample contradiction; so why exclude reasonable doubt? Why undo the good work done on RNZ? Foley must be kicking Badgers.
P2 – “Oh Hoody, get rid of that web page mate and stop being so bloody sensitive, the ATSB remit is not meant to include self-righteous, sanctimonious media propaganda. Remember this mantra..."Without fear nor favour"-
Princess Hood needs to be less sensitive to media speculation and more sensitive to repairing the reputation of his outfit. Beaker trashed it; and, left a trail of disgust and suspicion in his wake. Honest, straight talk kept to a minimum will help with repairs; any whiff of obfuscation or sleight of hand has more potential to irreparably damage the ATSB international and domestic reputation than not finding MH 370 ever will.
There, glad I got that off my chest; feel much better now.
Toot toot.