To think it’s ironic all the stops are being pulled to rescue 5 people from a submarine

[MrsMillhouse]

Yet…. The world allows a boat with hundreds including children to sink

The media focus is on the Titanic story precisely because its the Titanic story: linked to something we've all heard of, unusual and interesting (will they make it, will they not). Migrants drowning (or suffocating, or dying of thirst, or disease) happens all over the world each day. There is little to say about it that hasn't already been said.

It's like school shootings : all tragic but very few make the news. There have been over 200 in the world this year alone. Should they report 2 a day to us? If they did would we really make time to discuss and morn each one?

The world didn't allow it.
The people smugglers are the ones responsible for the deaths of those women and children. How can they sleep at night?The thought of those poor women and children crammed into the hold of that boat makes me weep. The terror of it....And the terror of that much smaller group of men is terrible, too. They chose to pay thousands to go on that trip, but being rich won't take that terror away.

What difference in response horrifies you and why?
Im not seeing it.

I (think) I know exactly what you mean OP. I've been thinking about it too. Not in a value-judgement way ("they bought this on themselves") or even the privilege/poverty angle ("its like rich people are worth more than poor ones"). More from an abstract philosophical perspective about what it is that galvanises humans (and resources) into against-the-odds rescue efforts that capture the attention of the world despite only involving a vanishingly small number of people, when considered in terms of populations. As a PP said, its the unusual nature of it I think. If this had been a sailboat missing at sea with a few tourists on board, it would barely make the national news.

YANBU OP

I’m avoiding the papers as I find it ghoulish (DM being Top Ghoul). Whether bravery or ill-judged, I hope they’re rescued. Those poor people and what they’re going through.

i am certainly not callous nor lacking empathy. But I am horrified at the difference in response when it is a boatload Of refugees needing help

Correct me if I'm wrong pp, but their point was that this isn't genuine concern. Have never started a thread about migrants?

There is a debate to be had about the handling of the migrant boats but using this raw event to make some point isn't the way to do it.

Just because they're rich doesn't make it any less distasteful.

You do know the refugees pay thousands to the people smugglers for a place on those boats?
Both sets of people paid.
The very rich have a lot of media attention but very little rescue efforts mainly because it's not possible to look so far down.
The Greek story has attention and lots of help from many places, possibly refused help or maybe denied help.
Neither story places a low value on life both very high.

The difference is a private company is making millions of dollars from these trips. When the trips began they were featured widely on the news. A former employee was fired for raising concerns about the safety. Now five people who got on board thinking they were safe are probably dead. Other similar ‘race against time’ rescue missions have had lots of coverage too: the Chilean miners, the football team in the cave and the Kursk disaster.

@Avondale89

This thread is disgusting and beyond callous. I do wonder what people get out of comparing tragedies in this way. It seems to happen constantly these days. “Whataboutism” is rife. Feels very much like a race to the bottom. The lack of genuine empathy in society today is atrocious.

@MrsMillhouse

I am certainly not callous nor lacking empathy. But I am horrified at the difference in response when it is a boatload Of refugees needing help.

@FoodCentre

Correct me if I'm wrong pp, but their point was that this isn't genuine concern.

There is a debate to be had about the handling of the migrant boats but using this raw event to make some point isn't the way to do it.

Just because they're rich doesn't make it any less distasteful.

Agree. The OP clearly started this woke 'social justice warrior' thread, and hoped that everyone would jump on board and agree with her... Hasn't gone quite how you had hoped has it @MrsMillhouse ?

And the reason for that is because it's a thoroughly shameful and disgusting thread. Using this terrible disaster to try to garner 'woke' points is breathtakingly callous and insensitive.

Of course there should be efforts made to rescue them- I haven’t suggested otherwise.

It is still incredibly irresponsible and reckless of them, and it makes me angry that public money ( a lot of it) will be spent on this.

It seems some lives are worth more.

How did the people smugglers get themselves organised enough to destabilise countries and entire regions? I'm sure one or two of our politicians would love to have a chat over a drink with them if this is the case.

Correct. It is sad.

OP, yanbu. Not all lives are created equally. I could go further into it but that would be just very distasteful but you are absolutely not being unreasonable.

This absolutely isn't true. Canada have sent equipment and France are sending a boat!

The people on the sub might not all be white but they're not from third world countries either. The Pakistani father and son are British and paid £200k to go into a sun that many experts are now saying simply wasn't fit for purpose.

An absolutely insane thing to do to look at the wreck of a boat.

I’m on my way to Spain and just bought travel insurance.

am I the only one to assume that billionaires embarking on a dangerous ‘adventure’ didn’t take massive insurance?

surely the rescue cost will be covered by insurance or the families, who must have told whoever is in charge to do all they can, whatever the cost.

White?

Nothing from Canada and no French boats are on site doing any searching yet as of the BBC report 4hrs ago. That help is still enroute, so my post is 100% true.

I agree with you, OP.

I don't begrudge the efforts to rescue the submarine people at all. I applaud them, and sincerely hope that they can be found and rescued.

I just wish that that there had been the same level of commitment to saving the lives of those poor people in Greece, and the many more who have drowned in small boats.

Both groups have taken risks... some out of a sense of adventure, others out of sheer desperation. Either way, it doesn't matter. They are human lives, and we should make every effort to save them. It is the only humane response.

Been sailing as a family for half a century and rescued towed in a fair few craft. When a shout goes out over the radio. No-one stops to ask about the wealth, nationality of the stricken vessel crew.

This is a nasty pot stirring thread

I just wish that that there had been the same level of commitment to saving the lives of those poor people in Greece

But the same level of commitment would have been less effort (fewer ships, no helicopters, no aircraft, no drones) towards saving them?

Well then the guardian must be lying.

This is a nasty pot stirring thread
It is that.

The people offering to help with this are people with deepwater ROVs — if they are successful in finding and rescuing them then it's fantastic. Even if it is bad news, they'll have had a chance to use them at their full capability in a real-life situation, rather than simulated or training scenario.