A Rich Man's World

      This past summer, in June of 2023, a submarine dubbed the Titan set off on an expedition in the North Atlantic Ocean to see the remains of the Titanic Shipwreck. The infamous ship, which crashed into an iceberg and sank in 1912, is the subject of many inquiries, and was the main reason for the voyage. Its riders were five men - four of whom billionaires who paid to tour the wreckage. While the submarine was a topic for many, it didn't really gain traction in the news until after it lost contact an hour and 45 minutes into the trip. Two days later, it was reported that the submarine had exploded, killing all five passengers immediately. Throughout the news and social media, all anyone could talk about was the submersible and its unfortunate victims. And of course, why shouldn't they? The tragic incident warranted the attention it gained.

        Only a week earlier, another maritime accident happened. A ship named the Adriana, filled with over 750 refugees, was at sea on its way to Europe, full of people from Pakistan, Egypt and Syria all looking for a better life. Two days into the estimated three-day trip, the ship's engine failed, and the next day, food and water supplies ran out. Despite calling on Greek authorities for help, their pleas were ignored and over 600 people lost their lives on that trip. 600 people died preventable deaths. No one batted an eye. 
        This raises the question, why? Why was a submarine filled with five people taken more seriously than a ship filled with over 700? The answer is simple. Money. Just one person on that submarine had more money than all the refugees combined and in a capitalist society, why should the public care about you when you have nothing to your name? The fact seems harsh and inhumane, but it's unfortunately the truth. No matter how proper and caring and empathetic the world may seem, it genuinely does not care; you will never matter unless you have the money, power and status to support you. Otherwise, you are just another nameless, faceless person whose life will never amass the public's empathy regardless of the newsworthy cruelty imposed on you.
        With all of this, it is sadly not a surprise that people cared more about the submarine explosion filled with a handful of wealthy men than they did for the ship filled with poor migrants. After all, just like what the cast of Mamma Mia! once sang, it is a rich man's world.