U.S. Nuclear Security Agency Has 'Failed,' Says Advisory Panel
A congressionally mandated panel says a key Energy Department agency has "failed" in its mission to effectively oversee U.S. nuclear-arms operations.
The unmistakable conclusion of our fact-finding is that, as implemented, the 'NNSA experiment' involving creation of a semiautonomous organization has failed," according to Norm Augustine, who headed the bipartisan group with retired Adm. Richard Mies.
The former officials attributed the National Nuclear Security Administration's history of high-profile security lapses at atomic-complex facilities and soaring cost overruns in major projects to problems that became embedded in the nation's nuclear weapons culture after the end of the Cold War. Congress established the agency in 2000 following the Wen Ho Lee spy scandal at Los Alamos National Laboratory, giving it the responsibility to oversee arms activities that were previously handled by the Energy Department itself.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/global-security-newswire/u-s-nuclear-security-agency-has-failed-says-advisory-panel-20140327
Comments
"Fundamental reform will be required to shape an Enterprise that meets all of the Nation's needs and rebuilds the essential infrastructure that is required. But while the technical work is rocket science, the management and cultural issues are not as complex-albeit, in the case of the latter, not easily rectified."
NNSA is a failed experiment; however, the creation of NNSA was a reaction to the culture the weapons labs developed in DoE. Even if they are now moved to DoD, as many are pushing for, the underlying cultural issues are 'not easily rectified,' as Augustine says.
False the creation of NNSA was a knee jerk reaction to non issues. It was just another growth of the out of control bureaucracy. In some ways NNSA succeeded. It was made to grow a bureaucracy for people to make money for doing nothing. It has succeed in that.
About Feynman playing tricks on the guards?
The real problem is a management which is only interested to get bonuses based on a contract, which is compliance driven.
If you look in the latest APS news, where they list this years people who became fellows of the American Physical Society, there is not a single person from Los Alamos listed.
As long as we do science by milestones, this is not going to improve.
Both DOE and NNSA must be fired, and replaced by independent, competent caretakers.
A reorganization under current leadership will only punish blameless employees further.
That's decisive leadership.
Culture is long held word used to justify anything even some very bad things. You do not have to define it, show what it is, or even think about it. All you have to do just say that it is the problem and somehow the small minded eat it up. Lets do a demonstrations.
Despite many efforts the cultural problems entrenched in Congress not only remain but in some ways have grown worse. Many of tried to make improvements but these where either circumvented or lost in the fog of special interests. Many experts say that the cultural problems are so entrenched that only a radical and decisive changes have a chance at some kind resolution. One radical idea is to privatize the Congress. With a free market incentive rather than than a service incentive we would likely see the needed positive changes. It is a tough task for business leaders to undertake. Politicians that run congress have ingrained sense of self-worth and this culture can be most difficult to overcome. Another approach is make a new government agency to provide oversight to Congress and help turn around the cultural problem. There are other solutions of course.
Another one.
There has been growing concern of continuing problems, costs overruns, and scandals that have plagued the Smurfs. Despite efforts to improve the situation little if any progress has been made. One of the key issues which needs to be overcome first is the the cultural that smurfs have created. This has been the most persistent and pressing problem is a cultural of "knowing what is best" and "this is the way it is done". This culture has created a dysfunctional relationship with the smurf stakeholders and costumers. One exasperated Gargamel has said that the dealing with the smurfs cultural has been caused enumerable issues with operations and demands changes. Some even say that if this continues we should start thinking hard about the whole idea of even having smurfs.
A more sinister examples include just about any justification for the numerous genocides in history. Need to kill a whole group of people but you do not have a valid reason? Just say they have a cultural problem. Just a few examples below.
The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution in China (1949-1976) 70 million dead.
The Rwandan Massacre (1994)
1 million dead
The Armenian Genocide (1915-1923)
2 million
The Killing Fields of Cambodia (1975-1978) 20% of t he Cambodia's population. If you wore glasses you where killed.
The Holocaust (1939-1945)
11 million.
You get the point. The next time some sleazy ass motherfucker uses the word culture to justify some bullshit agenda they better know what kind of company they are keeping. It is cheap evil copout.
"Lets do a demonstrations..."
"Many of tried..."
"...these where either circumvented..."
"This has been the most persistent and pressing problem is..."
And yeah, lets all decide to do away with the Constitution: "Another approach is make a new government agency to provide oversight to Congress..."
Yep, you are a real gem. Try to stay hidden when they knock on your door.