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The Man Behind the Utah Mine Collapse

Murray also adamantly denied that the “retreat” method of mining which was used in the section that collapsed had anything to do with the accident. Retreat mining involves taking the last bits of coal from pillars that hold up the roof, and result in—ideally controlled—collapses. Murray has blamed the collapse on an earthquake, though seismologists say vibrations were caused by the collapse, not vice-versa.

[ ]…But it should be said that the Democrats and Mr. Murray have no love lost. Murray has given heavily to Republicans, including, according to the Post, $100,000 last year alone from his political action committee to GOP congressional candidates.He has used his ties with important Republicans—particularly Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose wife, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, oversees mine safety—to avoid facing the music for safety violations.

Part of Murray’s repertoire of defense is that without coal many people would lose their jobs and poor folks electric bills would be prohibitive. True enough, but the long transition to greener energy will takes decades and has little to do with how Murray runs his mines or uses his political pull to protect him and his company from proper oversight. It’s the ball park of despicable for Murray to hide his behavior behind the nameless faceless masses and his manufactured concern for them.

From a book review at WaPo, Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari

The French felt otherwise. In 1916 and 1917 ” ’spy fever’ had broken out all over Europe, and people were encouraged to look for, and report, any potentially suspicious actions.” Mata Hari, too self-absorbed to act rationally at all times, tried to play one side against the other but had the misfortune to come to the attention of Georges Ladoux, head of French intelligence. He recruited her to spy for France, which she did halfheartedly and ineptly. Then Ladoux “abandoned and betrayed his own agent” with the enthusiastic collaboration of Pierre Bouchardon, the investigator in the case, who “was convinced that she was a predatory woman, deliberately tricking men,” Shipman writes.

Another case of misdirection. The only case the French had (her actual employers) was that she traveled a lot, she was a provocative performer and she had many lovers. So she must be a spy for the Germans too. The nation does need cheap energy, Murray says that justifies less then stellar safety precautions. Mata Hari (Margaretha Geertruida Zelle) liked sex so she was guilty of something and had to be punished. If you take an ice pick and jam it deep into your frontal lobe the logic of Mr. Murray and the French prosecutors makes perfect sense.

one last peek 1600×1200.