I am back after traversing the Panama Canal.
Panama Canal © Am Ang Zhang 2011
It is a common practice for politicians to ignore professional advice. Sometimes they might get away with it; sometimes it led to failure, gross failure as in the case of the French attempt at building the Panama Canal .
Can we really learn anything from such a colossal failure?
Panama Canal © Am Ang Zhang 2011
Most people probably know about the French failure to build the Panama Canal. Many thought that this was due to yellow fever and malaria which were diseases thought to be due to some toxic fume from exposed soil.
Extracted from the Official Website: Panama Canal Authority /French Construction
The engineer was no match for a career politician:
“There was no question that a sea level canal was the correct type of canal to build and no question at all that Panama was the best and only place to build it. Any problems – and, of course, there would be some - would resolve themselves, as they had at Suez.”
Panama Canal © Am Ang Zhang 2011
“The resolution passed with 74 in favour and 8 opposed. The ‘no’ votes included de Lépinay and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Thirty-eight Committee members were absent and 16, including Ammen and Menocal, abstained. The predominantly French ‘yea’ votes did not include any of the five delegates from the French Society of Engineers. Of the 74 voting in favor, only 19 were engineers and of those, only one, Pedro Sosa of Panama, had ever been in Central America.”
The French failed in a spectacular fashion.
Cost to the French: $287 Million (1893 dollars) or $6.8 Billion (2007 dollars)
Many reasons can be stated for the French failure, but it seems clear that the principal reason was de Lesseps’ stubbornness in insisting on and sticking to the sea level plan. But others were at fault also for not opposing him, arguing with him and encouraging him to change his mind. His own charisma turned out to be his enemy. People believed in him beyond reason.
Could any of us learn anything from this experience?
Panama Canal © Am Ang Zhang 2011
Dr Grumble went VIRAL in A reader writes
“If we all take the view that Lansley's bill is unstoppable then it will be. The arguments for privatisation of healthcare just do not stack up. The emperor has no clothes. If enough people were to point that out this bill would drop dead in its tracks.”
So what about David Cameron and Mental Illness?
No, I am not suggesting anything at all although you might think so if you roll back and listen to what he said in 2009.
"…….There will be no more of those pointless reorganisations that aim for change but instead bring chaos……."
No, it is about Bupa:
The Guardian: Bupa cuts off mental illness payments after two years
Now will Monitor be doing anything about that? I doubt.
But hang on, the NHS is really safe in David Cameron’s hands as there needs to be hospitals taking back patients that Bupa does not treat.
Told you: The NHS is not going to be privatised! Not all of it any way.
My guess is that NHS 111 will be. Oooops: there may be new jobs for people to call NHS 111 as £25 a go can soon mount up and it is impossible to monitor.
Oooops, did I say Monitor? Yes, Monitor may be re-launched as a QinetiQ styled company as there is so much money to be made from fining NHS Foundation Trusts. Dr David Bennett is not a medical doctor.
But, David Cameron, thanks for your faith in the NHS. And do not worry, after two years, we will be there.
Hermione: "You pay a great deal too dear for what's given freely". -
(Act I, Scene I). The Winter’s Tale.
Others:
No comments:
Post a Comment