I don't know how many people paid their £100,000 bookings but I imagine they'll be cancelling PDQ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29857182
I'm sorry Col, my sympathy is buried pretty deep on this one. An incredibly wealthy individual has passed away doing an expensive and frivolous trip that would be deemed by many to be risky by definition. While I have written this post, hundreds of people will have died from the usual - famine and disease through no reason other than being born into the wrong situation rather than one that that this guy voluntarily put himself into. Probably another ebola victim (heard jokes about that), probably flu (despite all the man flu being a killer jokes), probably some aids victims (jokes there and half the problem is down to the catholic church) but because they're not wealthy Westerners followed by cameras, they're fair game apparently. Oh, and since I've just realised that the flight ticket could probably keep a few thousand hunger victims in food for life, my sympathy is waning if anything.
Looks like the two guys on board were test pilots, Matt. Whilst they were probably paid a pretty penny, it doesn't sound like they were part of the elite who paid to take a tour of space.
Test pilots Matt. Listen to yourself. So a rich person's life isn't worth the same as a poor person's? Bloody hell mate.
No, its worth more. Rich westerners can pay for the best food and medicine money can buy. They even buy poor people's organs off them!
That isn't what Col said at all is it Swords? How long have you been back from your self imposed exile and you are trying to cause trouble? I'm not sure that I can be bothered with this place anymore.
I'm not causing trouble for God's sake. Nothing can be said anymore on here is that it? Two guys have a disagreement yet I'm the one that gets collared? Likewise
I think my post said a little more than that. My point is, we readily accept that poor people die en masse and don't blink an eye but a smaller scale incident gains the public eye for no better reason than being from the developed world and we get very precious about it. We even make jokes about the problems that afflict the mass sufferers. Counter that with test pilots (sorry, my mistake) who choose a profession with inherent risks (arguably not to escape poverty and it's questionable if commercial flights push the boundaries of technological advancement so the risks can be argued to be for personal gain). The World Health Organization estimate between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths per annum from flu. Now, as a middle estimate, that would mean 180 deaths (maths in my head so sorry if wrong) since this thread started. Have you ever made a man flu joke? Would that seem particularly tasteful in comparison to my comment about buying a ticket? The level of outrage on what's acceptable and what's not is arbitrary, misguided and disproportionate. Perhaps I should be above crass comments. Perhaps others should be above false piety (not you Col if you don't joke about potentially fatal illnesses but in general).
Get over yourself, it was Mr.Rangercol that was searching for the highest ground - read it again, or buy him a pint on our behalf tomorrow. Swords isn't always a cnut and in The same way The other one can defend his position so can Swords.
One or two folks on here who we can safely assume are avid fans of The Socialist Worker and Billy Bragg... Why wouldn't you pay [a bargain] £100,000 to go into space? I know I would. What an opportunity, and what an experience. I certainly wouldn't forego it just so I could piss my money up the metaphorical wall known as Third World charitable causes. Nor, for that matter, am I somebody who uses the fact of African/Asian poverty as a stick with which to beat people who have had the intelligence, drive or, perhaps, sheer good fortune to become millionaires. please log in to view this image
with all the aid money handed to the Africans they should be fatter than any westerner let me know when a leader of an African country is starving dying of aids flu etc
Mods, please lock this one down. It's going to turn into one of those threads, and I don't think any of us need that. If for no other reason than that I like Roller, and want him to stay around. And possibly sane.
Surely the important point here isn't if it is an expensive business, or if the person who died has paid $100,000 to be in the position (which as has been stated, he didn't, he was a regular test pilot). Who cares about his wealth, job or how he's chosen to spend his money. Yesterday a man was killed in the pursuit of discovery, and whilst trying to open access to space to the public, albeit a small group of wealthy people. I doubt many were criticising the astronauts on Apollo 13 during the days of uncertainty during that mission. Sad that the reaction today isn't just sympathy for the family now in mourning. RIP
Of course peoples lives should all be valued the same but the realism is they are very far from that. Receiving news in a country which is based on imaginary property wealth is crazy enough but for people to fly into space because they can, because they have money and then would probably boast that they did it ... **** the lot of them IMO ... We have beautiful imagery and simulations of our planet is that not enough? Bloody safer it sounds like ... Hope the entire project is binned afterall what is a life worth ? Bet they continue... so in terms of money it looks clear to me that the value of the project is more important than a life ... By that you can then put a value on a life? Space rockets full of rich people let's be honest they are there to be shot at
OK, I'll leave it as this. An estimated 1.7 people die per second across the globe. Why does this one man deserve sympathy whereas all others are comfortably neglected without demanding respect for their passing? Influenza still accounts for countless thousands of deaths. Therefore, how is a comment about buying a ticket more disrespectful than quips about man-flu? For anyone that knows the pilot, you have my sympathies for the suffering you're going through. For anyone that's going through anything else that's not considered newsworthy enough to start fawning over, you have my sympathies. For those that command respect for the dead universally, you have my utmost respect. For anyone that keeps sympathy for their loved ones, friends and acquaintances and even people you know by name/reputation you have my respect too. For anyone in between who deems passing pompous judgement, by virtue of what makes the papers or not, the proper course of action, you're hypocrites - at least acknowledge the fact.
