Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by kryogen1c 1994 days ago
> Blaming individuals is very satisfying

"Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you... If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible."

Hyman G. Rickover, father of the US nuclear navy

2 comments

This is the best context I can find:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hearings/IcO0QpCJdQYC?h...

I strongly agree with his comments in their original context.

>I strongly agree with his comments in their original context.

is the implication that you do not agree within this context?

You used the quote in reply to my statement

> Blaming individuals is very satisfying

I was not sure how you intended it, as you did not provide any other comment, so I went looking for the original context.

Here's how I understood the original context: Congress was looking for who to blame nuclear incidents on. Adm Rickover pointed out that for Thresher, very many of the responsible people in the production and development process changed multiple times during the process. He also pointed out that Congress, as the funding body still maintained some responsibility.

In the context of Boeing, I think it does apply, in the sense that the development project was faulty, albeit in a different way than the development of Thresher. It also applies in the fact that the funding body bears responsibility (Boeing shareholders and management). This is my interpretation. Everyone is free to make their own.

Rental roommates are jointly and severally liable, but in a corporation everybody gets to pass the buck