I agree that we prioritise one narrative over another depending on completely arbitrary (though always pertinent) cultural decisions, as well as politics and economics.
However I think we must factor into this situation the peculiar horror of the circumstances and the extreme difficulty in getting the chaps out. Cave diving is not something I could ever do. I knew one old school-friend who became a rescue cave-diver. The most unlikely superhero I have ever met. But he was (and hopefully still is) a superhero.
This is also the story of extreme bravery on the part of the rescue services and the international Cave-Diving rescue community - because it is international; most nation-states have a minuscule number of folk who combine the skills, nerve, and sheer bravery to do that job - hence the community is international.
[edit] Here is a BBC article on some of the folk involved:
Most young folk around the world don't get rescued: from war, from poverty, or from disaster. I'm all for doing something positive about all of that, but it costs money, and I have to persuade folk that they should pay more taxes to fund programs that might actually do something.
This rescue mission has cost a shedload, apart from the death of a Thai ex-navy seal. You are correct in that we do not throw resources like this towards the folk fleeing war or poverty. Sometimes we will put our hands in our pockets for natural disasters, but really we can't be bothered - ergo we have abdicated our responsibility for these matters. In which case the state has a moral duty to take a lead and fund relief with taxes. Well, right up until it goes against populist opinion; after all, when you live in a democracy the voters must always be placated and mollified, even when they are evil bastards.
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Date: 10/7/18 21:41 (UTC)However I think we must factor into this situation the peculiar horror of the circumstances and the extreme difficulty in getting the chaps out. Cave diving is not something I could ever do. I knew one old school-friend who became a rescue cave-diver. The most unlikely superhero I have ever met. But he was (and hopefully still is) a superhero.
This is also the story of extreme bravery on the part of the rescue services and the international Cave-Diving rescue community - because it is international; most nation-states have a minuscule number of folk who combine the skills, nerve, and sheer bravery to do that job - hence the community is international.
[edit] Here is a BBC article on some of the folk involved:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44761821
Most young folk around the world don't get rescued: from war, from poverty, or from disaster. I'm all for doing something positive about all of that, but it costs money, and I have to persuade folk that they should pay more taxes to fund programs that might actually do something.
This rescue mission has cost a shedload, apart from the death of a Thai ex-navy seal. You are correct in that we do not throw resources like this towards the folk fleeing war or poverty. Sometimes we will put our hands in our pockets for natural disasters, but really we can't be bothered - ergo we have abdicated our responsibility for these matters. In which case the state has a moral duty to take a lead and fund relief with taxes. Well, right up until it goes against populist opinion; after all, when you live in a democracy the voters must always be placated and mollified, even when they are evil bastards.