Everybody lives

[davidn]

I don't often post about world events in there, but yesterday, I was amazed as I watched a live video feed of thirty-three miners in Chile, three quarters of a kilometre underneath the earth, being pulled one by one to safety. I can't remember an event like this happening within my lifetime... every day, we are bombarded with news of people losing their lives through natural disasters, accidents or through the pointlessness and stupidity of religious warfare. In contrast, the development of the Fénix capsule and the rescue that it made possible are wonderful examples of how humanity can be good, how we value life, and signs of the ingenuity and technology that we have made to preserve it.

The events that we saw unfold have been compared to Apollo 13, and it happened in an age where the whole world really was watching - through the video feeds, it was possible to see the small round capsule being dropped down the shaft, someone being loaded into it with good-luck gestures as the door was closed, and then being winched up into the daylight ten minutes later. It even worked better than the rescuers had been expecting, and the whole operation - 39 descents and ascents, including the ones for the six rescue workers - was complete in about half the time they had projected.

After being told of destruction daily, it's heartening to see a disaster turn around from hopelessness to a story in which just this once... everybody lives.

Comments

[ethelfleda.livejournal.com]

Agreeing wholeheartedly.

Apparently on SkyNews they had a wee counter in the bottom right of the screen of the numbers of miners remaining down there - which prompted a friend to speculate that this was now and XBox achievement.

[davidn]

My sister said more or less the same thing, that it was like waiting for votes to come in from countries, rather than something... much more serious happening. I think I ended up watching the Guardian's feed, which had rolling updates with huge numbers when another rescue was announced.

You have now got me thinking about what could go into a "Save the Miners" mini Flash sim. Too soon?

[kibet.livejournal.com]

I had hoped more people ould have given their opinions on this. I was also amazed on how fast it happened. I was glad the news sites kept with the story all the way through the drilling stages.

A writer was on newsnight last night mentioning that he hoped it was made into a TV series rather than a movie as so much could be explored.

[davidn]

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more mention of it among my friends, as well! On balance I think it was... left alone rather than turned into anything, but we seem doomed to see something along the lines of a remake of Daylight with Sylvester Stallone in the near future.

[scani.livejournal.com]

Living in a mining community myself, the plight of the 33 Chilean miners, as well as their rescue... it was definitely a hot topic. Numerous times during the day people were asking me "How many do they have out now?"

It is certainly a testament to mining safety and technology that they were able to survive as long as they did.

[davidn]

It's wonderful. I had just been pondering humankind and its incredible atrocities the other day... this was a hopeful reminder that we're not only a race who can only kill and ugly and despoil.

[lupineangel.livejournal.com]

They've certainly made history... no-one has ever been that deep, for that long, and still survived. This rescue attempt has been phenomenal; everyone involved in the project should feel proud of their efforts. By all rights, this should've been a tragedy... instead, it's become a near-miracle.

You're right... I think it's been the happiest piece of global news in a generation. We don't get stuff like this very often at all.

D.F.

[davidn]

I honestly can think of very little else in which nobody has died - apart from the JetBlue incident where they became the only airline to have successfully landed with no casualties without working undercarriage (which certainly makes me feel better about flying with them). It's rare, but it's a sign that we can... save, and preserve life, and do good things.

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

What the. . .fuck! It's thirty three people buried underground! They all got out okay. I agree that our society very rarely gives any good news, but saying that it's the best news in a news in a generation, or that it's equivalent to the Apollo 13 mission, or that it's a "minor miracle" is insane! Come on, it's thirty three people! People have been trapped in mines frequently throughout history! I'm sure it cost a small fortune to save those miners, not to mention the costs of having all those news crews out there. I'm sure equivalent funds in enhancing medicine has saved thousands of lives recently.

It can not be said that this news story was followed by the globe. You know why? Because I didn't care about it! I want to see Armageddon on the news; I don't care about thirty three miners. What the fuck?!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

[davidn]

Go away!

[kjorteo]

We all know the feeling, it´s frightening sometimes
When we catch the news on the radio
Death, war,destruction, limitless pain
All the tears that have been cried....

I'm with you in that, just this once, it's nice to see a story that ends happily with no casualties.

Which reminds me, I still need to do some novel work if I can just get out from under the massive weaving load this week....

[davidn]

Glad to hear that you came round to that one :) Oddly, I found myself singing Are You Metal to myself just this morning, despite previously not really considering that it had a tune - it could also be a grower in really heavy disguise. (But honestly, I most want to hear more of The Sage The Fool The Sinner.)

I would say that both of them are atypical Helloween songs (with Paint a New World being much more like Iron Savior, with its... ceaseless attack-attack-attack rhythm) but I'm not really sure that there is such a thing as a typical Helloween song any more - when I listened to the first full album that I heard of them, Keepers 3, I thought that they now sounded like all the bands that they influenced rolled back into one again, with elements of many other styles across the album.

Also, while I'm on the subject, what Internet subculture does the whole idea of "painting a new world" remind you of? Well, it did to me.

Oh, and it's good that the miners got out, too.

[davidn]

I just realized that I could have called this post "Tale of the Cave". But... I was being serious, this time!

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Or "Cave Story".