Nemisis pursues an arrogant mortal…
Here is slickwilly’s reflection on the breakdown of systems, human error, hubris and nemisis in his Comment of the Day on the post,The Wake-Up Call And The Power Cord:
The O ring failure had a great impact on young slickwilly, who was home on a rare sick day and watched the shuttle blow up live. The information that later came out made it clear that launching spaceships was fraught with danger, as there were so many things that could go wrong in such a complex system it was a wonder they ALL did not blow up.
My first and only brush with ethics (engineering: make sure the bridge does not fall down) was greatly reinforced by memories of that Shuttle disaster. (I still get chills when I think of the radio message “Roger, go with throttle up” which preceded that explosion.
The definition of hubris is “excessive pride or self-confidence” and comes from Greek Tragedy’s “excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to Nemesis.” (NOTE: Nemisis was the vengeful Greek god who destroyed mortals guilty of hubris.)
Hubris caused the Shuttle tragedy. NASA (and their contractors) became complacent, and allowed less important considerations (like flight schedules, politics, and mission timelines) overcome important items like launch protocols and safety.
Hubris is the hallmark of gun control advocates today. Hubris and callous disregard for the rights, dignity, and lives of responsible gun owners. Using young David Hogg as a useful idiot is par for the course: these are the same people who will tell you the criminal has rights which the homeowner violates when protecting himself during a home invasion. These tactics are despicable, beyond the pale of civilized society. That America has come to where such are excused and even encouraged means our society has fallen further than I had feared.
Hubris marked progressive governance this past decade as well. Promises made about Obamacare while knowing they were lies. Fast and Furious. ‘A video is to blame for Benghazi.’ IRS suppression of opponents to win the 2012 election. 30,000 email under subpoena erased ‘like with a cloth,’ and no one is even charged. Even the late assertion in the press that Obama was the first scandal free Presidency smacks of hubris.
Now we find that a falsified dossier was used, without support, to get a FISA warrant to spy on an opposition political candidate. That the federal bureaucracy was weaponized with the goal of removing a duly elected President. That FISA wiretapped US citizens were maliciously and illegally unmasked by Obama Admin officials for political purposes.
Hubris leads to nemesis, the “inescapable agent of someone’s or something’s downfall.”
The Democratic party is ripe for nemesis.
Ethics Alarms 
One can only hope yet I fear America is as well.
Congratulations!
Really interesting perspective Slickwilly!
Thanks, Z
If I believed in just interventionist (G)god(s ), it would at least make me feel better. Used to do so, but no longer. I’ll simply offer my hope Slickwilly is right.
I have to recuse on any comment about NASA. But slickwilly’s comment is fair enough not to dismiss. Echoing Linda above, the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy is about entitlement to power. The notion of hubris to conspirators of such a mind is absolutely alien and unthinkable, because they are so thoroughly self-convicted that they own all truth. In such a world, NASA becomes merely another source of useful idiots.
And speaking of NASA’s hubris, how is it they are the authority on climate change? What does that have to do with shooting things and people into space?
Hi there Slick, that is a nice comment.
The definition of hubris is “excessive pride or self-confidence” and comes from Greek Tragedy’s “excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to Nemesis.” (NOTE: Nemisis was the vengeful Greek god who destroyed mortals guilty of hubris.)
In today’s Counter-Currents there is an article on Chris Pinker’s new book ‘Enlightenment Now’ the focus in it is Pinker’s dismissal of various groups and movements which he understands to be anti-Enlightenment (such as identitarianism, et cetera).
I was thinking of getting it in order to read the ideas of one totally committed to Enlightenment-Liberalism and in order to help me better understand America and American thinking generally. Then I read a not-so-favorable review in The New Statesman by John Gray which pointed to what I would now call — reading your reference — its hubristic flaws. I could probably get all I need to of Pinker by reading quotes …
Here is John Gray’s article which I think will interest you as it touches on some of the roots of Enlightnment ‘hubris’.
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2018/02/unenlightened-thinking-steven-pinker-s-embarrassing-new-book-feeble-sermon
It is not easy to get a grip on what this Liberal Enlightenment thinking is, and what is good about it, and what is bad about it. And then what might be the proper antidote to it.
I would though be forced to submit the observation that a form of hubristic Enlightenment thinking is part-and-parcel of America from its earliest days. I certainly accept your assessment of the Progressive Left’s hubris but I think it is a wider issue and as such requires more exposition.
Agreed, and thanks for the link!
Thank you, Jack. I appreciate the honor.