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ATHENS, GREECE — In the course of a single week, two tragedies unfolded, both exposing the stark, divergent responses by our media and governments based on the affected demographics and the narratives they spin. Intriguingly, both tragedies involved the ocean and rescue attempts, starkly underlining our inconsistent approaches to different crises. One tragedy revolved around the implosion and subsequent deaths of five individuals who had invested $250,000 each for an underwater journey to explore the Titanic’s ruins. The other was a catastrophe at sea off the coast of Greece, resulting in the tragic assumed loss of nearly 700 migrants in pursuit of better lives overseas. Now, take a guess, which incident garnered more media attention? If your instinct was to go for the event that claimed up to 700 lives, you would be dead wrong.
On June 13, a distress signal from a migrant vessel carrying up to 750 individuals was first brought to light by Italian activist Nawal Soufi, prompting a range of rescue efforts from different parties throughout the day. Nonetheless, differing narratives surfaced concerning the vessel’s readiness to receive aid and its overall condition. Despite obtaining supplies from the Maltese-flagged tanker Lucky Sailor and from Greek authorities, the boat’s occupants reportedly declined any further assistance, staying their course. Adding to the confusion, Soufi and Greek parliament member Kriton Arsenis alleged that the Greek coast guard attempted to tug the boat toward Italian waters, a claim vehemently denied by Greek officials. Ultimately, the boat succumbed and capsized during the early hours of June 14, with further conflicting stories on whether it was a result of overcrowding and engine malfunction, or if it was because they were being tugged by a Greek coast guard. Tragically, of the estimated 750 souls onboard, 104 have survived.
On June 18, an underwater submersible designed by OceanGate to plunge nearly 13,000 feet below sea level failed to reemerge as planned. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, barring any immediate catastrophic incident that would have already claimed the lives of the passengers, the vessel had approximately 96 hours of oxygen remaining. The ensuing rescue operation was nothing short of colossal, featuring multiple aircraft conducting continuous radar sweeps of the surface and complex remote vehicles tasked with scouring the Titanic’s wreckage. The world was on edge, watching and waiting in anticipation, fervently hoping for the survival of the submersible’s passengers. Regrettably, their hopes were in vain. The rescue efforts yielded no positive results. As it turns out, the reason why it never surfaced was because the submersible underwent a devastating implosion that, quicker than the passengers’ brains could register the event, killed all five people onboard.
On June 24, I arrived in Greece to venture to its various islands on a vessel with many close colleagues and friends on board. Witnessing what transpired over the past weeks has made everyone here wonder: What would have transpired if those migrants on the capsized boat had been a handful of Americans enjoying a yachting expedition instead? What if they were us?
So, why the disparity in media coverage and rescue attempts? To answer that, we must first understand what we value in a story. Do we look for a compelling, easily digestible narrative, or a complex web of differing accounts and foregone conclusions? Unquestionably, the OceanGate incident provides an enthralling and absorbing tale. It creates a sense of urgency, akin to a countdown in a show like “24,” reminding us that the story and the fate of those involved is unfolding in real time, as we carry on with our daily routines. Moreover, it’s a simple story — uncluttered and easily digestible. Five people are trapped in a submersible at the bottom of the ocean with just 96 hours of oxygen remaining. It’s as straightforward as that.
In contrast, the migrant story is considerably more intricate, teeming with conflicting accounts of the events, critical policy considerations, numerous parties involved, a story that is already at its end, and overall, a narrative that requires a significant investment of time to truly comprehend.
Despite the relative captivation of the OceanGate story compared to the migrant incident, we must still question why the actual rescue responses were so dramatically different. Yes, different government entities were involved, yet I fervently believe that authorities would have acted differently had the occupants of the vessel been different. Reading the account of what happened when Greek authorities initially made contact with the migrant boat, it remains baffling that, given the apparent overcrowding of the vessel, and the Greek authorities’ own admission that they believed the boat was on the verge of capsizing due to overcrowding, they still allowed it to continue on its perilous journey.
I have witnessed a consistent sentiment of outrage echoed from its people over the media and Greek coast guard’s handling of the tragedy. There is an outpouring of anger, a clamor for answers. The inherent value and equality of every single life is a principle that should never be overshadowed or forgotten. Yet, it seems that both our governments and the media have shamefully lost sight of this vital tenet; they value certain people over others, and captivating stories over what really matters.
Yeah yeah yeah, we’re all racist because we focused on rich westerners dying rather than Muslim invaders.
The reason why the leftist legacy media doesn’t focus on the Mediterranean boat sinking is because it happens all the time and it’s a coordinated effort by the United Nations in league with people traffickers to achieve their “Equality of Outcome” objective.
It’s been going on for years and the international law making community has done NOTHING to put an end to it, NOTHING.
“Tragically, of the estimated 750 souls onboard, 104 have survived.”
Yes, it IS tragic that there were survivors.
Invaders. The Greek Coast Guard should be encouraged to just sink them, next time.
Hear, hear! 🍻
My sentiments exactly!
I believe that the author inadvertently omitted the word “only” before the number “104” in the quoted passage as the author clearly empathises with those wanting to enter Europe illegally. However, it’s a pity those aboard this vessel didn’t all perish and their bodies returned to their point of embarkation as an example to others not to waste their money on people smugglers and such perilous journeys. Better still, the target countries should together stamp out the smugglers by whatever means are at their disposal, if necessary by entering the countries of embarkation and arresting the smugglers. If this is not feasible, then alternatives need to be found to curtail the smugglers by holding their countries of origin responsible for the smugglers’ actions.
Why waste the money returning the corpses to their country of origin? Thassalotta money to spend. WHOSE dime?
Better yet, track tem from departure and intercept when they approach national waters, in this case that would appear to be Greece,
The simple fact of the overloading would be ample cause to deny passage into or through Greek waters. Resist entry with force, then lethal force. Let the owner of the vessel suffer the loss for allowing it to be used for such purposes. The serious overloading would be cause for their insurance carrier to deny coverege for willful endangerment of the vessel. Let the owner bear the sting for allowing his vessel to be used this way. Once a few similar incidents result in serious lossof life and vessels, the game won’t be so attractive and will lack future players. Win.
Those “guarding” our own southern boundary need to wake up and repulse invaders, and cease supporting them once they HAVE invaded, Until this happens we will continue to watch our own country founder and fail.
The only ones the Democrats want here are More Democrat Voters and Supporters
“Reading the account of what happened when Greek authorities initially made contact with the migrant boat, it remains baffling that, given the apparent overcrowding of the vessel, and the Greek authorities’ own admission that they believed the boat was on the verge of capsizing due to overcrowding, they still allowed it to continue on its perilous journey.”
Why exactly should the Greek authorities care about any of this? If the ship makes it to whatever destination, the resident population will be forced to feed, house, clothe, educate, etc. people who were not invited and are a drag on society with their demands. We are fed up with the alien invasion and so is much of the rest of the tax paying world. Stay home and you won’t drown at sea or in the Rio Grande.
Media and our sensibilities are not to blame. Who organizes ships like this and convinces people to get on it? What are the motives of the organizers and the individuals on such ships?
I see nefarious world plans by organizers and selfish “gimme” motives of individuals on the ship…(based on our United States experiences). Or why would people risk their own lives?
. Were they living a bad life where they came from? IDK. If so, those governments need to clean up their act.
Or are they mainly battle age males?
Before we cry for any sad story we do need to add in critical thinking, yes?
Who organised the shipping? Last year Over 500,000 illegal immigrants have entered every single European country, Britain included, but excluding Poland and Hungary.
Only one organisation is big enough to do that, the UN.
Here’s a difference: The submersible passengers were legal citizens pursuing an adventure, the other incident was a boatload of criminals illegally trying to attain the welfare-backed “good life.” Which to focus on? A true tragedy? Or one created by greedy human smugglers trying to maximize their take by overloading the boat with welfare cheats?
700 dead! What’s the bad news? With just one A10 Warthog I’d stop the boats in a month
Quote: “What if they were us?”
If these migrants were “us” … the Leftards would have torpedoed the boat.
And there would be no rescue effort.
Where has the author been?
There was no media coverage to protect the Muslim invasion and the human traffickers helping them. The dead are irrelevant. The Left cares nothing for human life …
… but we can be sure that these “scientists and engineers” would be given super-citizen status and encouraged to burn Churches if they had reached their target …
There is no judgment here. The failed adventure of 5 men who, for $250,000 cost wanted to explore the remnants of the sunken ocean cruiser Titanic at the deep abyss of the ocean cannot be compared to the life of capsized ship with travelers on board who perhaps had good intentions to start a better life in Europe, to where they tried reach, or end up burning the free world, like what is taking place in France.