Droning on.
Droning on
Incompetent, naïve, stupid even. These are the words I attribute to governments, not just ours, in their approach to the private use of drones. Only now, after two international airports, Gatwick and Heathrow in London, have been shut down or compromised because of the presence of drones is action being taken. How many millions of dollars that cost is still in the laps of the bean counters, ridiculous.
When I saw drones go out into the shops I thought of the implications of these fun and practical business and government tools might have, used innocently, wrongly or with malice. Was it the temptation of profits, cost savings, jobs and taxes of an entirely new global technical market? I guess it must have been. My mantra in now in my third decade of professional, and yes, award-winning journalism, has long been, follow the money.
Anyway, drones are now going to be regulated more heavily and honestly, should have been from the get-go. However, the horse has fled the stable and only now are we pulling the door closed. How many drones are out there that are unregistered? Thousands? Millions? The day after announcing more regulations I noticed a news item about Yemen, an exploding drone above a podium killing six soldiers. I also recall videos some time ago of firearms mounted on drones. The weapon platform was fast, agile and the weapon fired chillingly accurately. I’m not saying that those that love us not couldn’t have got access to this technology but jeez we could have made it harder and more traceable.
By the time this column is published there should have been a vote in the UK parliament for the EU and UK Brexit deal. The prediction is from me, despite the odds, that I expect something last minute to change and it will be deal. If I’m wrong. I’ll admit it. But I won’t eat my hat. I think everything hinges on the votes of the 10 DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) MPs. If those votes can be swung to support Prime Minister Theresa May’s side, then I think others will follow and the deal will squeak through.
I thought speeches from the Oval Office in the Whitehouse were for dire emergencies not political maneuvering. I watched U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech and didn’t think much of it. I don’t think the situation justified the Oval Office setting. Crying wolf is what I’ve read, and I think I agree. In the meantime, around 800,000 people are without a pay cheque and the knock-on effects worsen. Maybe we’ll see some movement when politicians realise their jobs are on the line too.
It was ironic to see B.C. Premier John Horgan speaking out to support a natural gas pipeline. I was also saddened to see multiple arrests. Feeling are running strong about pipelines from supporters and opponents and I don’t see it getting any better. No wonder Kinder Morgan decided to sell rather than face potential opposition across the border like we’ve already seen and maybe worse to come. We’re in an election year and the reality is that there are more potential Liberal seats to be held and won in B.C. than there are in Alberta. I would be surprised to see Trans Mountain start before the election. In the meantime, why not just follow the path of least political resistance and go north? Pretty soon a tidewater port will be open most, if not all of the year and by taking a right and taking the Northwest Passage there is a much easier market, Europe.