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I wonder why the FAA is held to such a higher standard than other regulatory agencies like the SEC, FTC, USDA, and FDA who arguably have far less objectivity, a

I wonder why the FAA is held to such a higher standard than other regulatory agencies like the SEC, FTC, USDA, and FDA who arguably have far less objectivity, and whose failures are so much more frequent and have wrought so much more damage on the lives of the public?

blibble 3y ago
Europe certainly doesn't trust the USDA or FDA, at all, in any way regulatory capture of the others don't cause a significant problem outside the US when the sides start poping out of FAA approved airliners maybe trust of that agency should be re-evaluated
lolinder 3y ago
This is classic whataboutism. The FAA isn't held to a higher standard, that's the entire point of this article and the discussion around it. We can and should oppose corruption in all government agencies, and if the FAA is where we can get enough will to start then so be it!
- engcoach 3y ago
  The FAA is the most competent and beneficial government agency. It is held to a higher standard and the other ones couldn’t come close.
  - lolinder 3y ago
    Can you elaborate? By what metric are you judging competency and benefit?
anthomtb 3y ago
Commercial airline failures often lead to sudden and large-scale loss-of-life. I don't know that you can say the same for products and services regulated by the other agencies you mentioned. I also don't know that I agree with your assertions. Do you have further evidence about FAA is held to such a higher standard than other regulatory agencies and how those other agencies failures are so much more frequent and have wrought so much more damage on the lives of the public?
p_l 3y ago
FAA involves international cooperation whereas most of the rest handle only internal US matters. Things that could be passed over in traditional wheeling & dealing of US politicians corruption won't fly (pun intended) because failures will get international consequences and scrutiny and tend to involve big medially visible tragedies (and not white collar crime or slow and unmarketable deaths of poor aka nobody important). Noticeably, two times that president pushed a deregulation policy on FAA, the result was deadly accidents - DC-10 cargo door issues (Nixon) and 737 MAXX development (policy pushed under Bush Jr). Additionally, FAA and related orgs elsewhere tend to take "regulations are written in blood" even more than regular pilots, and thus there's a drive to self correct even in face of problematic political reality.

blibble 3y ago

Europe certainly doesn't trust the USDA or FDA, at all, in any way regulatory capture of the others don't cause a significant problem outside the US when the sides start poping out of FAA approved airliners maybe trust of that agency should be re-evaluated

lolinder 3y ago

This is classic whataboutism. The FAA isn't held to a higher standard, that's the entire point of this article and the discussion around it. We can and should oppose corruption in all government agencies, and if the FAA is where we can get enough will to start then so be it!

engcoach 3y ago
The FAA is the most competent and beneficial government agency. It is held to a higher standard and the other ones couldn’t come close.
- lolinder 3y ago
  Can you elaborate? By what metric are you judging competency and benefit?

anthomtb 3y ago

Commercial airline failures often lead to sudden and large-scale loss-of-life. I don't know that you can say the same for products and services regulated by the other agencies you mentioned. I also don't know that I agree with your assertions. Do you have further evidence about FAA is held to such a higher standard than other regulatory agencies and how those other agencies failures are so much more frequent and have wrought so much more damage on the lives of the public?

p_l 3y ago

FAA involves international cooperation whereas most of the rest handle only internal US matters. Things that could be passed over in traditional wheeling & dealing of US politicians corruption won't fly (pun intended) because failures will get international consequences and scrutiny and tend to involve big medially visible tragedies (and not white collar crime or slow and unmarketable deaths of poor aka nobody important). Noticeably, two times that president pushed a deregulation policy on FAA, the result was deadly accidents - DC-10 cargo door issues (Nixon) and 737 MAXX development (policy pushed under Bush Jr). Additionally, FAA and related orgs elsewhere tend to take "regulations are written in blood" even more than regular pilots, and thus there's a drive to self correct even in face of problematic political reality.