I have been following with a sort of sick interest - as I am sure many folks have - of the slowly unfolding saga of GemanWings Flight 4U 9525, in which 148 people died in a fiery crash in the French Alps. The horrible nature of any flight crash is enough to boggle the imagination; the thought that (as is the thought at the moment) this was the result of a conscious decision is horrifying.
The picture that has been painted through the recorder - the initial knocking at the door, followed by a harder knocking and pounding, then by more and more determined attempts to break down the door in front of the passengers as the plane inevitably descends to a fiery doom - is the stuff of horror movies. Were it a brilliantly done suspense movie, it would win awards. The unfortunate truth is that it was all too real.
My thought in writing this is not on the where or whys - it is on the nature of someone making a decision to execute an action, something which impacts the lives of everyone bound up in the circumstances.
One man - so far as we know - made a decision that affected 147 other lives. For whatever reason, 8 minutes of slow descent were decreed as a required action. Did the co-pilot know the ramifications of his actions? Based on what we know now, probably. That makes the issue even worse.
The reality is that we find ourselves in such positions regularly
Not with the same horrible results, no. And not (perhaps) with the same sense of sickening realization that we are being plunged towards a doom that we cannot escape.
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But the reality of the individual - or group or culture or religion or government or company or nation, take your pick - so intent on an action that the drag down many others with them is too real to ignore.
Any of these may see the consequences of their actions - indeed, we may see the results of such actions in our own lives. yet we cling to the course of action long after it makes sense or even if we realize the ultimate outcome of it.
Why is this? Stubbornness? Pride? A sense that our purpose, our mission, our goal exceeds all other considerations?
As this happens - as the slow sickening plunge continues, as the relationships crumble, as the money flies away, as the consensus that holds any sort of group together falls apart - do we ever question the validity of that which we are so set on achieving? Or is the last second simply the culmination of what we have sought to achieve at any cost?
And as this happens, do we hear the tearing of the frail bonds of human relationships and emotions and polity around us as those we have brought with us fall too, or do we just count this as the cost that must be paid to advance our vision or goal or perceived need?
Have we become so self absorbed and self centered - as an individual or group or culture or religion or government or company or nation - that our universe is completely absorbed in us?
I bet we will never be told his real reason. hey will hide them if it sheds a bad light on one topic and make it appear to help their cause with another.
ReplyDeletePreppy - I have abandoned any sense that we will find out the truth about much anything anymore - there's a separate blog post in that, but in reality we have lost the ability to talk about the truth or seek it (largely). What fascinates me on a macro scale is that this same sort of fatalistic rush to complete an action, knowing what it will end up doing, seems to be a larger and larger issues. We no longer think of ramifications, only our perceived needs and goals. It is alarming and it does not end well.
DeleteUnfortunately TB it would appear that the human race as a whole is riding a slow plunge into self destruction and extinction as we destroy the complex web of nature that supports life on this rock.
ReplyDeleteVery rarely have I come across folk who consider the affect of their actions upon others with only greed and self interest their concern, sad days.
John - Well said, and I think the frightening thing (to me, anyway) is that this extends in every direction, be it individual or group or polity. We are almost bent on serving our own agendas to the exclusion of all else.
Deletejust read that the copilot had converted to Islam. They found proof in his apartment. It was discovered several days ago, but not being reported.
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