Staff Reports
Oh boy, it seems Secretary of State Antony Blinken has found himself in a bit of a pickle. According to Bloomberg, Blinken, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, has been left stranded in Zurich after his flight back to the U.S. was abruptly cancelled. Turns out, there was a problem with the aircraft – an oxygen leak, to be precise. Yikes!
The poor secretary was scheduled to travel on a fancy and modified Boeing Co. 737, but thanks to this little mishap, he and his entourage had to find an alternative mode of transportation. A smaller aircraft was eventually sent to collect Blinken, but unfortunately, many of his staff had to resort to flying back on commercial flights. Talk about a downgrade!
Elon Musk rips Boeing for ‘prioritizing DEI hiring over your safety’ https://t.co/mgcahKcFSy pic.twitter.com/Aoakp6meHR
— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2024
But it’s not just Blinken who’s feeling the heat. This incident is sure to add to the growing pile of problems for Boeing. Their flights have been plagued by a series of technical and safety issues lately. Just last week, regulators grounded all of Boeing’s Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners after a door plug decided to take a little mid-flight adventure. Not exactly what one wants to hear if they’re about to take to the skies, huh?
And if Boeing didn’t have enough on their plate, this incident has also raised questions about their hiring practices. Apparently, some folks are concerned about their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hiring practices. Even someone as influential as Elon Musk has criticized them. Ouch.
On a brighter note (or maybe not), Secretary Blinken used his speech at the World Economic Forum to blame climate change and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East for causing mass migration and food shortages. Apparently, according to him, shifting climate patterns are forcing neighbors to compete for resources, resulting in ethnic tensions. And let’s not forget Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s breadbasket, disrupting global markets and making food less affordable. Oh joy, oh joy.
All in all, it seems like Blinken’s Swiss adventure has turned into a bit of a hassle. Let’s hope his journey back to the U.S. is a smooth one, because he’s got a lot to deal with once he’s back home. Good luck, Mr. Secretary!
