TOP 5 Successful Big Failures of 2019
Success and failures go hand in hand. The year of 2019 has been very significant in many aspects – be it the Climate Crisis, War in Yemen or Syria, Rise of People’s Power around the world, Global Youth Leaders demanding Global Leaders to Save the World, Rohingya Crisis, US – Saudi Arabia – Iran conflict, Brexit, Rise of Dictatorship in multiple countries, Kashmir lockdown… well, the list goes on and on.
What is most significant in the year of 2019 is how success has turned into big failures around the world. One wonders, why such a phenomenon is taking place in the first place! The answer is very simple – Greed, Power and Corruption have seeped into its lowest level among the global leaders, businessmen and the system at large. ‘Power’ has increased ‘Greed’ and ‘Greed’ has given birth to ‘Corruption’. Ironically, there is no one to stop this phenomenon.
Here are the ‘Top 5 Successful Big Failures of 2019’:
No. 5: THOMAS COOK – Success to Bankruptcy
The 178 years old British tour operator Thomas Cook had to abruptly stop being alive and declare itself bankrupt. This is one of the major successful failures of the year 2019. Thomas Cook had piled a debt of £1.7billion risking as many as 22,000 jobs worldwide and stranding 155,000 customers in more than 18 countries. The severe magnitude of callousness of Executive Directors and the CEO of the Company has to be blamed for tanking the 178 years old tour operator into oblivion.
Cabinet-maker Thomas Cook had established the Company way back in the year 1841. Thomas Cook was renowned worldwide as one of the world's best-known holiday brands. Thomas Cook had secured a £900 million rescue deal in August 2019 from its largest shareholder Chinese firm ‘Fosun’. The Company was looking to raise another £200 million in contingency funding, which had put the deal in doubt. The rest has become part of the history now. It is fascinating to note that top Directors of Thomas Cook were paid a combined of £20 million in salaries and bonuses, since the last five years. Chief Executive Officer Peter Fankhauser earned £8.3 million including £4.3 million in the year 2015.
The German subsidiary of Thomas Cook's German subsidiary has filed for insolvency to save its national brands ‘Condor’ after the UK parent company’s collapse. Thomas Cook owns 49% of Condor. The German government has granted €380 million bridging loan to Condor. Success to failure, Thomas Cook is the No. 5 Big Failure of the year 2019.
No. 4: BOEING 737 MAX – Crash to Being Grounded
The 103 years old aircraft manufacturer Boeing was established on the 15th of July 1916 by William Boeing in Seattle, Washington. In the year 1997, the present Company Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas. Boeing is one of the most amazing success stories of all time. So what made this successful Company to become the No. 4 failure of the year 2019?
On the 29th of October 2018, Indonesian Airliner Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crashed to kill all the 189 people on board. On the 10th of March 2019, the second Boeing 737 MAX aircraft Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed to kill 157 passengers and crew on board. Both the accidents were caused because the pilots lost control to automated commands by the 737 MAX's new MCAS – Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, an ‘automatic trim’ feature. In response to erroneous AoA – angle of attack data, MCAS repeatedly engaged to push the airplane nose down. After investigations, Boeing later admitted that MCAS played a role in both accidents.
On the 10th of March 2019, the Ethiopian Airlines grounded its fleet of 737 MAX. A day later, the Civil Aviation Administration of China grounded all its 737 MAX aircrafts. By 13th of March 2019, other regulators and airlines in the world grounded their MAX aircrafts. Canada followed by USA grounded their MAX aircrafts and countries like Singapore, India, Turkey, Europe, Australia, Malaysia and many others grounded their 737 MAX fleet. By the second quarter of 2019, Boeing reported a record quarterly loss of $2.9 billion, as it provisioned $4.9 billion for airlines compensation. However, its inventory has grown by $6 billion.
Ironically, Boeing’s billion dollars loss cannot bring back the lives of 346 lives, which were lost in the two major accidents. Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts are not likely to fly again, because passengers are now scared to fly in it. Recently, Boeing paid $50 million financial assistance to the families of the 346 victims. Each family will get $144,500 as compensation. Boeing is facing multiple lawsuits related to the 737 MAX crash. From success to being grounded, Boeing 737 MAX is the No. 4 Big Failure of 2019.
No. 3: BORIS JOHNSON – From being PM to Unlawful Act
Boris Johnson’s successful rise to become Britain’s Prime Minister on the 24th of July 2019 exalted many in the United Kingdom for Brexit to happen. Exactly two months later on the 24th of September 2019, the Supreme Court of UK ruled that Johnson’s advice to the Queen to prorogue the Parliament was unlawful. Demand for his resignation is growing louder among the opposition and the British citizens.
It is indeed fascinating to see the British divided in its entirety. ‘Divide and Rule’ was the British mantra, which made the tiny island nation to rule as many as 171 nations worldwide. The age-old saying – ‘What you sow is what you reap!’ – is so apt. Today, the British politics is phenomenally divided and there is no able leader to rule the United Kingdom. Theresa May is gone and Boris Johnson is on the verge of going for his unlawful act.
Power corrupts and Boris Johnson is a good example. The UK is facing a constitutional crisis and heading towards Brexit without any concrete plan. Boris Johnson is following in the steps of Donald Trump, who has been breaking every law to take the President’s stature to a new low. Johnson has broken the rule of law as the Prime Minister and deceived Queen Elizabeth II to prorogue the Parliament.
Just like the United States of America, it is ironic that the Prime Minister of United Kingdom is shamelessly clinging to his post after breaking the law. As the Prime Minister, is Boris Johnson above the law? It is evident that he is, just like Trump is. An ordinary man is punished even when one crosses the speed limit on the road and here is the Prime Minister, who deceived the Queen and broke the law and still nothing…. Boris Johnson is the No. 3 Big Failure of 2019.
No. 2: DONALD TRUMP – Russia to Ukraine Conspiracy
Donald Trump is the sickest enigma the world has ever seen till date. He became the President of the United States in the year 2016 with the help of Russian President Putin. Since then, he has been consistently breaking the American Constitution on a daily basis with his act of insanity and lies. This is the shallowest low period in the American and the World politics.
The recent whistleblower complaint about the President has finally led the Democrats to open the long-awaited impeachment inquiry. He has been caught on everything he has done unlawful as the President. Surprisingly, the Democrats have failed to nail his coffin as the spineless opposition to the Republicans. Well, even a 10,000 pages book will be insufficient to write about Trump’s unlawful act. He has created a dangerous atmosphere in the USA and the world at large with his racism, lies, corruption, greed and misuse of power of the office.
He travel banned the Muslims, but Trump loves the billions of dollars from the Muslim rogue Saudi leader Mohammad bin Salman in arms sales. He is making money from his hotels while being the President, which is unlawful. Well, the list of his evil deeds is endless…. So, let us highlight Trump pushing the newly elected Ukrainian President Zelensky to dig dirt on his 2020 President rival Joe Biden and his son. Trump’s crime has finally caught with him as impeachment inquiry begins in the Congress.
Trump accuses the Democrats and the media for harassing him with multiple investigations of his evil deeds. However, instead of checking his evil deeds, Trump has been blatantly breaking law as the President of the land. Donald Trump is the No. 2 Big Failure of 2019.
No. 1: The UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations was established on the 24th of June 1945 to maintain international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international co-operation, and being a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. After the massive destruction of the Second World War, the UN was established for the sole aim to prevent future wars. In the year 2019, the United Nations has successfully failed the world at large on numerous issues.
The United Nations has failed the Children of the World for not taking mandatory steps to safeguard them from the Climate Crisis; War in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and various African Nations; Rohingya Crisis; Kashmir lockdown; Amazon fires; Iran conflict and the list goes on and on. One of the main reasons why around the world there are so many ongoing pro-democracy protests for all the above-mentioned reasons.
At the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, it was interesting to see the 16-year-young Greta Thunberg rip apart the shameless global leaders for their greed, corruption and inaction to safeguard the future of the Children of the World and act to check the existential Climate Crisis. The United Nations is the No. 1 Big Failure of 2019.
