2023
January
12
Thursday

Monitor Daily Podcast

January 12, 2023
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On Wednesday, the federal authorities grounded all air traffic in the United States for the first time since 9/11 – for something some pilots look at as little more than spam.

The grounding took place when a notification system known as NOTAM – or, Notice to Air Missions – failed. NOTAMs alert pilots of changing conditions and hazards, such as closed runways, air shows, or temporary cranes near airports. They’ve been around for decades, but in recent years, NOTAMs have been jammed with so many items that some pilots ignore them.

At an International Civil Aviation Organization hearing on the subject last year, a former air traffic controller noted that a typical briefing package for a flight from Munich to Singapore could include 120 pages of NOTAMs, with 10 to 15 alerts per page.“For every single one, we should read, understand, and decide if it’s relevant for our flight,” Finnair Capt. Lauri Soini told the hearing, according to FlightGlobal, an industry publication.

Most aren’t relevant, which means a pilot – who often has about 20 minutes for pre-flight briefing – would need to read 90 minutes of NOTAMs, he added.

Work is ongoing to reform NOTAMs. But the grounding Wednesday reveals something about the nature of air travel today. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it was “out of an abundance of caution.” Authorities say there is no evidence yet of foul play.

Shutting down all U.S. airspace for NOTAMs might seem extreme, especially considering the disruptions. But consider that the last fatal crash of a U.S. airliner was in 2009. And in 2017, a missed NOTAM nearly led an airliner to landing on a full taxiway in San Francisco.

Amid cancellations and delays, it’s worth remembering that “an abundance of caution” across the industry has dramatically transformed our sense of safety in the air.


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Today's stories

And why we wrote them

Gregory Bull/AP/File
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Film

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The Monitor's View

A quarter century has passed since the sprawling archipelago nation of Indonesia ended the strongman rule of General Suharto – although not an authoritarian mindset left behind among the governing elite. On Wednesday, the Southeast Asian country began an important shift to liberate itself from the burden of past atrocities, even those committed by governments during the post-Suharto era.

President Joko Widodo, elected twice in the world’s third largest democracy, expressed deep regret for 12 of the most egregious cases of mass human rights violations over the past six decades. While not a full-throated apology, his official contrition on behalf of the state also came with a promise to make amends and pursue both reconciliation and justice.

“I have deep sympathy and empathy for the victims and victims’ families,” he said after receiving a report from a team set up last year to review recent Indonesian history. “Therefore, first of all, the government and I are trying to restore the victims’ rights in a fair and wise manner without negating the judicial settlement. Second, the government and I hope that serious human rights violations will no longer occur in Indonesia in the future.”

That last remark reflects the difficulty for Indonesia’s elected leaders in confronting security forces that see themselves as guardians of national unity in a country that has coped with separatist insurgencies, from Aceh on the island of Sumatra to the easternmost province of Papua.

Indonesia has also not come to grips with its most violent period – the anti-communist, anti-Chinese massacres in 1965-66 when Suharto took control and reigned for 32 years. (That dark period was made famous 11 years ago in the documentary film “The Act of Killing.”) The world’s fifth most populous country also needs justice and reconciliation for the mass killing of pro-democracy activists in 1998 who helped force Suharto to step down.

The president’s attempts to reopen the past may reflect a reaction to last year’s full apology by Indonesia’s former colonial master, the Netherlands, for its violence during the 1945-1949 struggle for Indonesian independence. The Dutch also offered compensation to the children of executed Indonesians, a step that Indonesia might follow for victims of its own past abuses.

Humility can beget humility in the healing of nations. The first step is shining a light on the errors committed, which can then bring about a measure of justice and mercy, not to mention rule of law and civic equality. Only then, as Mr. Widodo suggests, can massacres be prevented.


A Christian Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication – in its various forms – is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston – whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

In the face of accident or injury – on the playing field or otherwise – we can turn to God as a reliable help.


A message of love

Ann Wang/Reuters
A woman smiles in a sunflower field in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Jan. 12, 2023.
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte and Karen Norris. )

A look ahead

Thank you for joining us today. Please come back tomorrow when we look at how California’s extreme drought, wildfires, and now storms are combining. 

More issues

2023
January
12
Thursday

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