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 rat...