OceanGate Titan Submersible

OceanGate Titan submersible
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Introduction
Given the importance placed on human life, maritime tragedies elicit a spectrum of emotions and require swift reactions. However, the disparate amounts of focus and funding given to certain disasters, including the recent OceanGate Titan submersible mishap and the capsize of a migrant boat off the coast of Greece, raise significant concerns about the diverse responses to similar crises. This essay aims to analyze the striking disparity in the reactions to these instances by looking at the impact of historical legacies, global power dynamics, and the intertwining forces of colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, and human rights.
I. Historical Legacies and Global Power Dynamics
Colonialism and Imperialism
Colonialism and imperialism shaped geopolitics and power balances. Their prior contacts impact former colonial countries' responses to problems in Africa and the Middle East. These historical legacies affect how governments allocate resources and prioritize maritime tragedies. European powers dominated colonies via imperialism and colonialism. This system dominated resources, economics, culture, and politics. Thus, former colonial nations generally have political and economic links to these regions, influencing their crisis response.
Former colonial nations' links to Africa and the Middle East may cause resource allocation biases. Some former colonial powers may choose their interests above immediate aid. Poor rescue efforts and disdain for the affected people may result, and David Eltis has termed it “the purest form of domination in the history of slavery” (McCarty, 2014). Additionally, colonization created social, economic, and political inequalities where Inequities cause resource and crisis-response disparities. Former colonial powers may have better infrastructure and resources for search and rescue in their nations or countries where their interests are in jeopardy. However, colonial regions may have fewer resources, weaker governments, and less crisis management capacity.
Internationally, colonial attitudes and harsh treatment reinforce unequal power relations. This impacts maritime disaster response. Power dynamics from colonialism and imperialism must be addressed to build more equitable and compassionate global crisis solutions.
II. Human Rights and the Devaluation of Lives
Selective Empathy and Racial Bias
The different responses to the migrant boat capsize, and the OceanGate Titan submersible accident illustrate civilization's selective empathy. In this case, racial stereotypes and marginalization have devalued certain lives (Pérez-Peña, 2023). Colonial and imperial civilizations have profound racial biases. These biases have devalued lives based on race by perpetuating the idea that certain races are better than others. According to Heraclitus, “The waters are always changing, the rivers stay the same.” (McCarty, 2014). This devaluation is evident in resource allocation and rescue operations. This dilemma is exacerbated by the racialization of migration, which stigmatizes immigrants from specific locations as a threat or burden rather than as fellow people.
Media coverage shapes public opinion and empathy. Migrants and refugees have been vilified or disregarded by mainstream media. This biased depiction reinforces racial prejudices, dehumanizing these individuals (Amnesty International, 2021). Due to this, naval accidents involving migrants get less media coverage than those involving predominantly white individuals or "prestigious" professions like scientific study. Whether migrants are a threat or a burden determines rescue activities (Trilling, 2019). Governments and cultures may prioritize safeguarding natives or those involved in praised activities like scientific research above immigration. This prioritizing is based on race and socioeconomic class devaluation. It values certain lives more than others and helps them.
Racial and dehumanization-based biases must be challenged and abolished to solve this issue. Inclusion, equality, and respect for everyone's values should be promoted regardless of ethnicity, nation, or immigration status. It requires major interpersonal and structural stability adjustments to create a fairer, more empathic society that cherishes every life equally.
Global Power Structures and Responsibility
Strong nations influence international institutions and decision-making, which influences their emergency response. Geopolitical considerations often impact the allocation of resources and involvement in rescue missions, resulting in inequitable relief and attention. The US, Canada, the UK, and France, which have the economic, political, and military capacity to affect global crisis response, dominate global power structures (Canada, 2020). Their goals and interests may affect how much help they provide in need.
The OceanGate Titan tragedy's cutting-edge technology and potential scientific advances may have inspired these powerful nations' massive search and rescue activities. The submersible's scientific and commercial value helped it get financing and attention. These nations did not see the drowning of a migrant boat, which carried asylum seekers who were frequently disadvantaged, as geopolitical. Racism and political narratives may devalue migrants' lives and hinder rescue efforts. Power relations affect catastrophe response.
A global equitable maritime disaster response framework is needed to improve the mismatch. International rescue efforts need clear regulations and procedures. Due to discretion and bias in decision-making, resource and emphasis distr...