And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I always thought it was a worthwhile perspective that hit me when the Kursk went down that they were about as deep as a football field is long, 354 feet, and yet there was nothing, nothing that humanity could do for them. For all that we could do, they would have had a better chance being on the moon. Being on the top of Mt. Everest would have been a piece of cake.
For one, the Russian Navy could have made the rescue buoy onboard the Kursk operational instead of leaving it intentionally disabled. If that buoy had deployed, perhaps some of the sailors in the ninth compartment might have had a chance for rescue since some claim that they survived up to three days - but that would have required the Russian government to request Western help since their own deep sea rescue capability to support such an operation was lacking. Putin didn't authorize Western assistance for nearly a week after the Kursk sank. Nobody was ever held to account for the Kursk or the failure to mount an effective rescue effort.
To some, "nothing, nothing" gives a pass to those that engaged in negligence and others that gave more effort to covering their own asses than trying to save sailors' lives.
Reminds me of Benghazi.
With a little Chernobyl sprinkled on top.
You mentioned humanity and it worries me that we all have to live (try to live) with leaders or decision makers that frequently put humanity after their personal interests.
I always thought it was a worthwhile perspective that hit me when the Kursk went down that they were about as deep as a football field is long, 354 feet, and yet there was nothing, nothing that humanity could do for them. For all that we could do, they would have had a better chance being on the moon. Being on the top of Mt. Everest would have been a piece of cake.
ReplyDeleteThe sub was 505 feet long, significantly longer than it was deep.
Deletenothing, nothing?
DeleteFor one, the Russian Navy could have made the rescue buoy onboard the Kursk operational instead of leaving it intentionally disabled. If that buoy had deployed, perhaps some of the sailors in the ninth compartment might have had a chance for rescue since some claim that they survived up to three days - but that would have required the Russian government to request Western help since their own deep sea rescue capability to support such an operation was lacking. Putin didn't authorize Western assistance for nearly a week after the Kursk sank. Nobody was ever held to account for the Kursk or the failure to mount an effective rescue effort.
To some, "nothing, nothing" gives a pass to those that engaged in negligence and others that gave more effort to covering their own asses than trying to save sailors' lives.
Reminds me of Benghazi.
With a little Chernobyl sprinkled on top.
You mentioned humanity and it worries me that we all have to live (try to live) with leaders or decision makers that frequently put humanity after their personal interests.
That was an amazing bit of salvage planning and execution.
ReplyDelete