The next time you're on vacation and your airplane lands successfully, thank Bill Clinton.

[WarGamer]

So yeah... let me start by saying, as a borderline Boomer/X'er I have an affinity for Bill Clinton.

The 1990's were awesome. My parents were making bank. I successfully started my career, received another Degree, got married, got divorced, had a son, dated a stripper...

Awesome. Love the 90's.

Clinton is underappreciated by many but I'm going to call him the Best POTUS of my lifetime.

The numbers don't lie... economy, unemployment, deficit... A++

Anyway about this Post. Noticed how ZERO US Commercial Airliners have fallen out of the sky in the last TWELVE years? Wonder how that came about?

Look back to TWA Flight 800 off of Long Island. President Clinton formed the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.

The Commission suggested REAL changes and was risky... many were afraid of blowback from Airline unions, the Airplane mfg and shareholders. But they were implemented and BOY were they successful.

Within 10 years the fatality rate had dropped by 80%, beating a goal set by the commission.

"The magnitude of the improvement has far exceeded my expectations"

---Randy Babbit, head of the FAA from 2009-2011

So take that trip. Jump on that 777-300ER to Japan or a shiny new 787-9 to Europe on United, American or Delta... you'll make it there in one piece.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. For what it's worth, crashes had been falling for decades.

The amazing thing about our entire air traffic system is that every time there is an accident it is examined very carefully, and if at all possible steps are taken to keep the same kind of accident from every happening again.

I recall when jumbo jets were first coming into service, there was a lot of nervousness about the potential death toll if accident kept on occurring at the rates they had been occurring. But those worst fears did not occur, because all along, things that could lead to crashes were being systematically dealt with and eliminated.

[George II]

13. The worst air disaster actually occurred on the ground when two 747s collided on Tenerife.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

23. Yeah, I know.

I'm a former airline employee, worked at DCA for ten years, 1969-1979. A day or two after that crash, I waited on a couple of Pan Am executives who were on their way to Tenerife. I have honestly never seen two sadder people ever.

[11 Bravo]

35. I'm glad you missed the Flight 90 tragedy.

Roger Olian (actually the first passerby to jump into the water, although Leonard Skutnik became more well known) is a friend of mine.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

36. I am glad I missed it.

I was working at various other times when planes crashed. TWA flight 514 on December 1, 1973, is the most memorable. It was supposed to land at DCA but the airport was closed all day because of very strong cross winds.

[11 Bravo]

38. I remember that.

The flight crashed into Mount Weather. I remember they interrupted the Redskins game with the breaking news.)

[lostnfound]

32. Exactly. A great system that should also be used with every police shooting.

What went wrong, what should be done differently, enforce standards, create certification, consider human factors, crew resources, analyze all contributing factors from a systems level.
If the answer is “racist cops”, set standards and professionalize recruitment and training, and institute professional licenses.

[Chin music]

2. Only President to ever DESTROY the deficit and hand a SURPLUS

to the clown who stole it from Al Gore.
A SURPLUS. Why is that not touted? Why hasn't that formula been repeated?
22 million jobs! The 90's were good times for sure.

[WarGamer]

3. Damn straight.

I bought a house (my first) in 93 for 169,900 sold for 650k in 2007.

Fantastic memories. The 80's were still probably the BEST decade of my life... but the 90's were similar but I had more cash in my pocket to enjoy things.

[WarGamer]

4. From 93-00 the National debt grew by around 1.2 Trillion dollars. That's ALL.

And certainly the budget was balanced by 2000.

Shrub's endless war ruined all that.

EDIT: even that deficit in 93-94 wasn't Clintons fault.

[Buzz cook]

5. If not for two Bush tax cuts

The war would have had only a mild effect on the debt and deficit.

Right wing greed does it again.

[WarGamer]

6. still no excuse for that damn war...

[Buzz cook]

7. I agree

We've spent years trying to unshit that bed. Biden had the balls to say fuck it.

[WarGamer]

8. I think Obama wanted to get out, too...

But the situation on the ground was too hot and lots of pressure from allies...

[WarGamer]

12. Yes!! Bush the elder handed WJC a headache.

[BigmanPigman]

9. John Boehner said he was the best politician

he has known.

[WarGamer]

11. Definitely.

Would win the "have a beer with him..." contest every time.

[Maru Kitteh]

14. Aren't Americans banned from those places?

I mean, if not, we probably should be. I thought we were still being asked to kindly stay out of much of the rest of the world until we get our covid cooties under a little bit of control.

[WarGamer]

15. Most of Europe has much worse COVID cooties than us ;)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215346354

[cinematicdiversions]

24. Acually America is doing great compared to most of the world in this regard.

Certainly a lot better than most of Europe. Why would you think otherwise?

[progree]

29. I just noticed yesterday the World has exceeded it's all-time-high in daily new cases

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html

World - daily new Covid cases, 7 day moving average, per day:
739,476   Jan. 11 (previous all-time high)
359,766   Feb. 20 (lowest point since Jan. 11)
742,692   April 16
2.06-fold increase since Feb 20.

[Maru Kitteh]

34. Again I ask, are we not still banned?

Because that is the question. The OP encourages us to book transit overseas to Europe and Japan. I do not believe that is practicable for most people as Americans are either not allowed in these places or must quarantine for periods not conducive to a recreational visit.

[WarGamer]

42. Many spots are re-opened.

There are varying regulations, of course. Some airlines even give you free tests to board (Emirates)

And of you make your reservations TODAY, doesn't mean you're flying out today.

And as others have reminded you, the US is actually leading the way in vaccination rates... we'll be out of this thing before you know it.

[former9thward]

47. Where Americans are banned all other countries are banned also.

Its not just us.

[Stonecarver1]

16. I was not a fan of Bill Clinton

I've watched him a million times and I don't understand his magnetism. But it exists. When I think of Bill Clinton I think of the "bloodless coup" where the Democratic party turned away from organized Labor and to Wall St. for its funding. I also think of the repeal of Glass-Stegal which brought about the 08 crash. DOMA, NAFTA, China most Favored Nation trading status, Don't ask don't tell, etc. He did a LOT of damage to the Democratic Party. I'm glad the Clinton machine is gone and we can now rebuild it to look out for the little people again.

[Unknown Beatle]

22. He also eliminated

Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

[Hekate]

25. I don't think your interpretation is correct, Stonecarver...

I had some disagreements with policy, but I do NOT think he damaged the Dem Party. At all.

[TwilightZone]

55. You're seriously quoting Trump as a valid source?

That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[betsuni]

27. How was the Democratic Party supposed to depend on organized labor for funding when it was

gutted by the Reagan administration, and labor membership had been declining for decades? What is the evidence that Wall Street funding had influence over the Clintons administration? The "Clinton machine." You forgot to say "Third Way" and "neoliberal."

Republicans controlled the House for six years of the administration.

[JI7]

43. Reagan who was supported by White Union Members

Clinton did what he could with what he had to work with and he was a great President.

It's not Clinton's fault that white men vote right wing.

[betsuni]

48. So tired of the stupid myth that Democrats abandoned the working class for Wall Street.

Republicans knew exactly what they were doing, depending on white voters to get elected.

[Tommy Carcetti]

33. Cool beans, dude. nt

[Celerity]

41. Actually the horrific Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 under Clinton was far more

responsible for the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, although the repeal of Glass–Steagall in 1999 certainly did not help. The CFMA re-legalised most all forms of derivatives that had been banned since FDR days in the 1930's.

Larry Summers (a disaster of a human being policy-wise and still pushing his tosh to this day), Robert Rubin, and Alan Greenspan ran roughshod over Brooksley Born at CFTC. She warned that they would cause a global catastrophe, and she was ignored and side-lined.

Great documentary about her.

PBS FRONTLINE

The Warning

https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-the-warning/

[JI7]

44. White male union members voted for Reagan and they often vote Conservative

Reagan was before Clinton .

[JoeOtterbein]

17. The 90's grunge rock is still the...

...best!

[rickyhall]

18. I was nearly homeless under Bush I's crappy economy but Clinton brought jobs.

I also liked Letterman's interviews of Clinton. Dave could ask him anything and he knew the answer, in detail.

[MustLoveBeagles]

19. Bill Clinton is one of the best presidents we're ever had

[ancianita]

20. Very cool. My regard for him just went up; I was too busy at the time to learn this, so thank you!

[summer_in_TX]

21. Clinton was certainly talented, articulate, and charming. But...

in spite of the budget and economy, he was someone who struck me as having situational ethics. In other words, his ethics slid around to fit situations and he was glib enough to tell a good story about it. Many bought them too.

Besides gutting Glass-Steagall (setting up the banks selling junk derivatives, crashing the economy, and ruining a lot of families), he also signed the 1996 Telecommunications Act that fundamentally changed our media system by deregulating and allowing massive consolidation, lifting the national cap on radio station ownership from four (allowing a handful of corporations including Clear Channel to acquire 1500 plus talk radio stations, run conservative talk and effectively propagandize the nation).

You can draw a straight line from there to Trump and the rise of American fascism and white supremacy again.

I'd give him no higher than a B- myself in spite of the good economy and some other good things he accomplished. He left us positioned to be worse off.

[Hekate]

26. "You can draw a straight line from (WJC)to Trump & the rise of American fascism & white supremacy

...again”

Are you serious, summer_in_TX ? My gods.

[betsuni]

28. Evidently Republicans are innocent bystanders, everything's Democrats' fault.

[summer_in_TX]

39. I put that poorly.

But certainly from the Telecommunications Act he signed which allowed FOX News, Clear Channel, and a lot of propaganda.

I don't know why he signed it and yes he was afflicted with Newt Gingrich and a hyper partisan Republican rise. Nevertheless, that decision to sign it was used by a right wing propaganda system to turn their audience into hate- and fear-filled people.

[JI7]

45. White people have been voting Republican long before Clinton .

[Hekate]

50. Newt Gingrich & the GOP have been trying to wreck our democracy for a long, long time...

They figured out the way to hold the power in DC and to block whatever good ideas the Democrats put forward. Begin with that truth — always — before holding a Democratic President responsible for their malice.

Whatever policy differences I may have with Bill Clinton pale to nothing compared to what the Republicans have done in my 70+ years. However stupid I think he and Monica were for their consensual fling likewise pales to nothing compared to the absolutely malignant sexual hypocrisy of the elected members of the Republican Party.

Yes, you put your thoughts poorly, but please use this occasion to reflect what it was he was forced to work with in the House and Senate.

[betsuni]

51. +1

[summer_in_TX]

53. Between you and another commenter,

I’m certainly rethinking. I have been upset for a long time about the media and have blamed Clinton for signing it. But I didn’t make allowances for the Gingrich-led legislature he had to deal with then. He probably could not foresee the systematic widespread propaganda machine that signing it would create.

[betsuni]

30. Republicans controlled the House for six years of his administration. Remember Newt Gingrich?

Republicans draw a straight line from there to Trump and the rise of American racism and white supremacy. DUH. What the hell are you even talking about?

[summer_in_TX]

40. I'm talking about the media system that was set up that he

signed into law.

It was a mistake, one he probably did not foresee the consequences of.

One we are living with because the right wing propagandists have turned many in their audience into rage-filled people who blame us for things that actually their side is doing. They think we are evil. It's put us in a very dangerous situation.

Of course, Clinton did a number of good things too. But that decision helped the right wing spread their propaganda on steroids.

So, yeah, I have mixed feelings about his presidency. I actually like much about him, and I love how eloquent he is as well as his empathy.

[JI7]

46. White People were voting Republican and voted for Reagan even before this

[betsuni]

49. That's the fault of the right-wing propagandists.

Presidents can't veto everything Congress passes. That's politics. They can't tell the future. Like with the 1993 Crime Bill -- Democrats got an assault weapons ban and other things in along with the bad Republican things that Democrats thought could be fixed later. But they lost the House and that was that. The assault weapons ban expired and the damaging Republican things stayed. Clinton didn't know Republicans would have full control of the government in 2000 so that any unfortunate consequences of Republican legislature couldn't be fixed. Democrats always get the blame.

[summer_in_TX]

52. Fair point.

“Presidents can’t always veto legislation Congress passes.”

[lostnfound]

31. Technocrats at FAA, NTSB, and industry deserve the credit, but you did not mention the MAX.

The commission spent most of its time on security.
Meanwhile, the system built by engineers, inspectors, and pilots at the FAA made aircraft technically better for decades. Thousands of processes, procedures, programs, training requirements, standards, and aircraft modifications were made. For example, engines that used to fail or need shop repairs every year or 18 months were replaced with engines that perform well for 10 years. I am not exaggerating. Another example, interiors have to have nonflammable materials and be tested for smoke and toxicity. Another example, seats have to withstand 16g in a crash without coming out of their tracks to improve survivability.

When Bush was in office they started depleting the FAA, and requiring that any oversight that could be done by corporations themselves be parceled out to industry, away from the FAA. Part of “Ayn Rand” fantasy land, like getting rid of government-employed meat inspectors. As a direct result, much of the certification processes started getting its “oversight” done by Boeing itself, with far less involvement from the FAA. My experience in the 1990s was that FAA people were good at asking “Yeah but what if...?” questions. For example, if they were doing normal level of detailed oversight on the MAX, they might have asked: “This add-on stability system is helpful if the aircraft is stalling, BUT WHAT IF the aircraft has just started its climb and the system engages at low altitude?” Or “WHAT IF the air pressure sensor reading is incorrect?”

BUT WHAT IF...this avionics box fails, this bolt breaks, the same mechanic services both the left side and right side and makes the same mistake on both parts, lightning strikes, etc.

Clinton was a pretty good president but what I just described of competent FAA and NTSB oversight was happening before Clinton because president. The safety net deteriorated a lot during the Bush Jr years due to mandated shrinking of government functions and oversight, and budget constraints.