I don't get all the fuss about the Titanic that there has been for the past few weeks. Of course I know why; the bloody thing sank 100 years ago on April 14th 1912, but I don't understand all the fuss. After all the hype and the money, it was a monumental failure when it came up against the best that Mother Nature had to offer which had been totally predictable.
You could argue that the Titanic was unlucky, I suppose. That a massive iceberg should be exactly where they didn't want it to be and that it pierced a vulnerable point on the hull could be construed as bad luck. But surely the point was that there shouldn't have been a vulnerable point and the ship's navigation instruments should have spotted it.
What is it about the British psyche which leads us to celebrate failures? They are littered throughout our history and dressed up afterwards as triumphs. Bannockburn, Flodden, Evesham, Paschendaele, Dunkirk... and the Titanic. All dreadful failures and all with massive losses of life. And all celebrated - why?
You don't catch the Americans celebrating Pearl Harbour, or the Japanese celebrating Hiroshima, or the Russians celebrating Chernobyl. Bet your life the Brits would!
Perhaps it's just an excuse for a party and our natural optimism. Perhaps just a refusal to accept defeat. I don't know, but it's very odd.
Personally it's a relief to be able to switch on the TV and not be bombarded with programmes about the damn thing, factual or fiction. But next it'll be the olympics and we'll be celebrating getting thrashed at various sports.
I don't get it. Really, I don't!
I don't get it either but it must work otherwise it would not be done, I guess we get the entertainment we collectively deserve.
ReplyDeleteBrooding on the past does allow you to avoid looking into the future which is a lot more important, relevant and a little scary.
Concerning media suggest don't access media live unless there is something you specifically want to see/hear & replace the activity with something more positive? Not always easy. View on the street is a great alternative.
Phil Davies (Not Kay)
I think you are both wrong. Events like Titanic are not 'celebrated'. The Somme Offensive is not a cause for celebration, rather, these events are remembered, not just for the tragic loss of life but for the events surrounding it. There are always lessons to be learnt from the studying and recall of tragedies such as these. Take Titanic. Not only was it the most sophisticated and 'modern' ship of its day, but it also carried some very notable passengers. Its demise was a combination of poor seamanship, bad weather and bad luck but the fallout from the disaster should not be underestimated. The design of ships was radically altered, the law regarding the number of lifeboats completely overhauled etc. By studying and analyzing these events of the past, better prepares as for the future. Such was the social ramifications of the Titanic and its massive blow to British pride, that it has always been held up as a example of how pride can come before a fall and how the pomposity of Man can easily be punctured. No country celebrates its disasters, but they should all remember them with respect and learn from its lessons.
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