Stupid, incompetent, and wicked to the last drop: is Marathon Mining really guilty?

It is most un-American to characterize people by group labels.  Everybody is supposed to be as equal.  The Constitution only says that we all have equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  That is not the same as being equal.  We really must face the fact that many people are stupid, incompetent, or downright wicked. 

A system set up on the false premise that all people are equally good and honest is sure to fail–for the facts of the matter are that we are not all equally good and honest.  A system that works has to account for stupid, incompetent, and wicked behaviour by some people, some of the time. 

These arrogant reflections are prompted by a report that Marathon Mining has been suspended for dumping uranium exploration waste in a wilderness area of South Australia.  Now that is stupid, incompetent, and downright wicked. 

The report does not tell us if this silly act is the result of one lazy driller, a crew of incompetent rednecks, or the institutionalized wickedness of Marathon.  Or a lapse of the industry and the regulators. 

The usual dumb pronouncements are made by those in positions of authority–one sometimes wonders if the ability to sprout those idiotic platitudes is a pre-requisite for elevation to high position.  Here are some [I edit for context.]:

South Australia Premier Mike Rann:  “We welcome and encourage the interest of mining companies in developing and exploring the natural resources of our state but today’s decision sends a clear message.  This is a remote part of our state but it is not the wild west.”

Marathon Resources:  We acknowledged the “error of judgment” in the manner in which it disposed of exploration material, but we maintain there is no significant environmental or health risk to visitors or wildlife.”

Greens MP Mark Parnell:  ”It is time for the government to rule out, once and for all, any mining in the Arkaroola sanctuary. We need to draw a line in the sand.  Some parts of our state are just too precious to mine - Mt Gee is clearly one of those.”

Minister for Mineral Resources Paul Holloway: “The incident at Mt Gee is a blot on the otherwise rich history of mining exploration in SA.  I am very disappointed in the conduct of Marathon Resources.”

Consider: the most vigorous rebuke is to compare Australia to the old cowboy country of Hollywood.  The most vigorous apology is to deny risk to visitors.  And to tut, tut about disappointment. 

Maybe the system did work here: seems the silliness was soon discovered and cleaned up. 

But I would have thought that a more honest assessment of what actually happened would have been in everybody’s interests.  I get the impression that everybody is in denial and is sweeping more toxic waste beneath the rug.  Why can’t someone say:  “The system is broken, the people running the rules are incompetent, a wicked fellow jumped into the breach, and we were asleep at the wheel.  But no matter, we will fire the incompetent, sanction the evil, and fix the system.” 

I suspect that honesty would cast a mirror on many and deprive the Greens of an opportunity to attack.  But then mining deserves to be attacked when it fails to spotlight and control the stupid, incompetent, and evil that inevitably find their way into its ranks.