The Titanic Mistake

[keopeli]

I'm so in wonder today over how the events of 1912 and 2023 are so similar.

Both crafts were thought to be invincible enough to sell to passengers, even though they had known risks and limitations.

Both crafts had both Captain and Owner present in its demise who knew of the design limitation, the men who made the mistake.

Both crafts ignored warning signs.

We lost huge minds, filthy rich people, and innocent lives.

Both events shocked the world.

Both events lie in the same water tomb on this planet forever, always to be viewed together.

Ironically, the two men who devoted their lives primarily to the history of the Titanic in 1912 have passed from this world via the same path that the 1500 souls did so many years ago.

The Titanic Mistake is hubris.

[LakeArenal]

1. There's just nothing wrong with being rich.

It not a pejorative.

I hate that everyone is making fun of this tragedy because rich people are the ones killed.

Party of empathy has a fail.

[keopeli]

2. I agree with you. Empathy is feeling for someone who is NOT like you

but you can fully understand their experience.

Being rich is neutral. It does not HAVE to affect who you are (though it can).

[BlackSkimmer]

4. Thank you. I've been a tad shocked at the absolute gloating I've seen on some of these threads.

Not surprised, though.

The businessman from Pakistan was heavily involved with charity, the Frenchman was an expert on the Titanic and had visited many times. His interest was certainly scientific, in addition to his other interests in the wreck. He owned the salvage rights.

The poor 19 year old certainly doesn't deserve this gloating that I'm seeing here, neither does the French diver about whom Cameron and others have spoken so highly.

None of these people deserved to die.

Yes, your last sentence is very true.

[XanaDUer2]

5. I'm trying to save up money

To go to Keyna on a safari. I probably won't be able to, but I guess I could give whatever I have saved to a charity that gives to those who need it.

If I did go, should I be eaten by a lion?

[BlackSkimmer]

8. I want to go with you!

I can't run that fast anymore, so you'll have a head start regarding the lion!

You know what they say...you don't have to outrun the animal chasing you, just outrun the human running beside you!

[XanaDUer2]

9. Ha!

I long to see Elsa's grave. We would have to stay in a luxury kopje, and they offer safaris, including guided walking tours.

So, I get wanting to experience rare things. Its human nature for the most part

[BlackSkimmer]

17. Absolutely, Kenya is on my bucket list.

As is Botswana. (All those books by Alexander McCall Smith)

[StarryNite]

14. Here in Arizona a man was just killed and

partially eaten by a black bear. He was sitting outside drinking his morning coffee and the bear grabbed and dragged him 75 feet and started to devour him. Neighbors tried to scare the bear off. One of the neighbors came out with a gun and shot and killed it. That was good because that way no "innocent" bears would be killed. A necropsy was done on the bear and found it was a healthy male bear, not sick, not skinny.

[XanaDUer2]

15. Sometimes, the people who most cherish

Nature, and want to be near it, are injured or killed. Minus the bison-petting idiots. I have no sympathy for that level of dumb.

If I make it to Africa and take a guided walk, there's a chance I'll be snake bitten. But my urge to explore outweighs that risk.

[StarryNite]

19. True. Just like Steve Irwin.

Everything is a risk. We have to do what we can to mitigate the risks while still enjoying things we want to do. We can't just hole up in the house and not live. There are a lot of risks in the home. Here in the desert rattlesnakes are common so even stepping out onto our patio has that risk. And we have had rattlesnakes in the yard and on the patio. In the warm/hot months I try to remember to look before I step out the door.

[XanaDUer2]

27. I was heartbroken about Irwin

Such a robust love of Nature and make people care about it. I'm glad to see his kids on tv now. I hope they follow his legacy. I heard horrible people were killing and torturing rays to "avenge" his death. Exactly what he'd be against

[StarryNite]

28. I was heartbroken about his death too.

And yes, he never would have wanted any rays killed or tortured.

[milestogo]

20. A safari isn't dangerous as long as you have a guide

and you do what they tell you.

Most incidents of people being hurt on safaris happen when they get out of the vehicle and try to get closer to wild animals. Good guides will not let you get hurt.

The people getting hurt in Yellowstone do not have guides and don't know that these animals are dangerous to approach.

[Polybius]

6. Exactly

If I were rich, I'd spend my money on things that I don't need too.

[LakeArenal]

11. For me it's never about what the other guy has.

It’s more about what is unavailable to me.

I doubt anyone would turn down wealth.

[StarryNite]

12. I agree 100%.

[treestar]

26. I don't think it is just because of that

there are plenty of Darwin Award threads. It's about how it happened and the choice to go on that submersible. True only rich people could afford it. But less than rich people can earn Darwin Awards and DU always has jokes about those.

[LakeArenal]

29. Then they shouldn't need to refer to them as "filthy rich" if that were the case.

Had poorer folks had the opportunity to go down in that submersible they would have.

[treestar]

33. No doubt about that.

But there's an irony in it being so expensive that only people who have it all can lose it all by taking that trip.

[LakeArenal]

35. I get that but I resent using taxes to rescue dumb shits on Everest.

But we do. Because stupid shouldn’t kill you.

That doesn’t mean I support rescuing dumb shits at the expense of a boat full of refugees.

[betsuni]

38. +1

[Hugin]

3. One correction...

The owner of the Titanic was not on board.

It is alleged that he was holed up in Switzerland with his "nurse" at the time of the sinking.

"Morgan had a private suite and promenade deck on the RMS Titanic and scheduled to sail on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the ship, which was owned by an IMMC subsidiary, White Star Line, but those plans were later changed."

FROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._P._Morgan

[CTyankee]

7. Do you think he had a suspicion that something could go wrong?

[Hugin]

13. Personally, I don't think so...

Of course, there are a myriad of conspiracy theories built around his absence on the Titanic's maiden voyage.

The Titanic and it's sister ships the Olympic and Britannic were state-of-the-art ships and few changes were made after the Titanic disaster except for the addition of more lifeboats.

When the Britannic was sunk (presumably by a mine during WWI) there was very little loss of life relative to the Titanic.

There were 1,066 people on board: 673 crew, 315 Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), 77 nurses, and the captain with only 50 reported casualties.

FROM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMHS_Britannic

[XanaDUer2]

16. My opinion only

No, he was a true believer. Ethically, I could never cut corners and put others' lives at risk. I couldn't live with myself doing that.

ETA: I misunderstood. I meant the CEO who also perished.

[edbermac]

10. I think he was referring to J. Bruce Ismay

He was the chairman of White Star Line.

[BlackSkimmer]

18. Ismay was on board.

Morgan was not.

[Liberal In Texas]

22. Ismay got on a lifeboat. He survived.

[BlackSkimmer]

23. Yes, he did.

And led a life in seclusion for the most part, from what I understand.

He's been made out a villain in so many re-creations, but we'll never know the full story.

[milestogo]

21. Hindsight is 20/20.

[keopeli]

24. Indeed. But the irony of the two events and their matching cause is remarkable.

[milestogo]

25. I've heard it said that the sinking of the Titanic marked the end of an era

when people had tremendous faith in advancing technology... still high on the industrial revolution. The Titanic was like a corrective to that.

This incident - should be highlighted to all those folks who just hate regulations. Safety regulations save lives.

[keopeli]

30. It may doom future space tourism for a long time, but I don't think it will change our cultural itch

that makes everyone want to be part of and in awe of the next tech breakthrough.

At least, if nothing else, we may have a bit more skepticism before putting our life at risk. But so many of our tech developments now intend to affect behavior subconsciously (algorithms, AI, etc). I fear this incident will do nothing to prevent the substantial human and global damage that new tech can do. Perhaps an event that collapses a country, a continent, or an economic collapse in our future will do the trick. Of course, it will be far too late for far too many.

[milestogo]

31. I just watched "The Days" on Netflix - regarding Fukishima

Its a firsthand account of what happened during the earthquake/tsunami. Didn't collapse the country, but it was worse than i knew. People died, people were exposed to radiation, and it can't be cleaned up.

[keopeli]

36. Thanks for the suggestion!

Sounds like a film I'd like. I'll check it out!

Happy Pride Month!

[milestogo]

37. ...

[BlackSkimmer]

32. Well said.

These giant airliners they've got moving now...it's frightening.

[brooklynite]

34. No its not.

I've been traveling by air for more than 50 years. The giant airliners (747s and A380s) have great safety records. And the number of airplane fatalities is minuscule considering the number of worldwide flights each day.

I'm sure that people were asking what kind of idiot (and a rich one at that) would pay for the first commercial airplane flight. (approx. $11,000 taking inflation into account) back in 1914.