[kreuzberger]

Yesterday, the EU's structural response to the ongoing desperation of poor and disadvantaged people simply shrugged as perhaps over 500 souls perished in the Mediterranean Sea.

Borders, walls and fences don't stop anyone or deter those who are forced to migrate. Building this shit is complicit in the killing, and "Frontex" (a Billy Big Bollocks name for Brussels' criminal negligence) has as much blood on its hands as the Greek authorities.

Even BBC staffers have been choking today when staring this institutional slaughter in the eyes.

As the tide goes out on a reasonably satisfactory day in British politics, I can't ignore that we have bigger fish to fry.

[kreuzberger]

It is "good", for any given value thereof, that that BBC are all over this appalling story.

If it had happened in the Channel? I am not so sure.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I assume most of the EU is the same as here and makes it very hard to jump on a plane and claim asylum. Over the sea it is then...

[soulboy]

Compare and contrast.

Five people, including a British billionaire, are missing in a submarine near the wreck of The Titanic. The story breaks at the same time as Johnson's political career is hopefully ended and Rishi Sunak's cowardice is yet again revealed.

Lead front page story on The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Express, Metro and Daily Mail, as well as being prominent on the front page of every newspaper except the Daily Star.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

The dead billionaire strategy.

[Bones McCoy]

The dead billionaire strategy.

One I'm prepared to get behind.
If only we could select the billionaires.

[mattomac]

I found it very odd the way the Mail presented it.

Usually it would have been dead woman corner treatment but their whole page was given over like it was 9/11 or something.

I can only assume this gentleman had some friendship with certain people at the Mail or that he owned some shares as the coverage was just bafflingly to me.

[Andy McDandy]

Their defence of Johnson has been (sorry for the pun) sunk. Comprehensively. To the point where only the Express is still coming out to bat for him. Indeed, I'd not be surprised if his new and exciting column is quietly buried.

So, talk about anything else. And billionaires,submarine and Titanic has enough "weird world" to qualify.

[Youngian]

Victims who die en masse on impact are nowhere near as newsworthy as an unfolding cliff hanger spectacular. Billy Wilder explored this vacuity of the media and its readers 70 years ago in Ace in the Hole, little has changed.

[kreuzberger]

It will come as no surprise that a Glasgow University student lost his life on Sunday.

If you're in that city for more than five minutes, that city will embrace you as one of its own. As a mother grieves beyond measure, Glasgow will doubtless do its thing.

[The Weeping Angel]

So now they'll all dead will someone explain to me who this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?

[Abernathy]

So now they'll all dead will someone explain to me who this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?

Can we have that in some form of recognisable language ?

[Oboogie]

So now they'll all dead will someone explain to me who this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?

Can we have that in some form of recognisable language ?

"So now they're all dead, will someone explain to me how this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?"

[Spoonman]

At a stretch, the whole story of the implosion & attempted rescue mission is an extension of "missing white woman syndrome". Being more rooted to reality, it's less connected than the idea some years back of Cherie Blair getting deliberately up the duff to keep Ken Livingstone's London Mayor run off the front pages.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I don't think so. Stories of rescues, or attempted rescues, missing planes, kids in caves - they have a massive human interest pull. The jeopardy, the tragic stories and if possible the snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat. It's what the press loves, and the public wants it, too.

There's also a very strong element of narrativium.

[Youngian]

James Cameron’s a knowledgeable observer to this tragedy but you don’t need to be to have reached the same conclusion as him: ‘Fucked if I’m getting in that thing.’

[MisterMuncher]

I have vague recollections of hearing about the firm early on and that they were making a sub from carbon fibre. A middling GCSE technology student could most likely list the ways in which that is a fucking silly idea in the first place.

[Abernathy]

So now they'll all dead will someone explain to me who this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?

Can we have that in some form of recognisable language ?

"So now they're all dead, will someone explain to me how this was an attempt to distract from Johnson's woes?"

Nope. Still not getting it.

[Bones McCoy]

I don't think so. Stories of rescues, or attempted rescues, missing planes, kids in caves - they have a massive human interest pull. The jeopardy, the tragic stories and if possible the snatching of victory from the jaws of defeat. It's what the press loves, and the public wants it, too.

There's also a very strong element of narrativium.

Yes, it makes excellent copy:
Remember the Chilean miners, the Wild Boars cave rescue.

Those with long memories may recall various domestic mining accidents.
Worried relatives gathering at the pithead awaiting any update from the rescue teams.

[Bones McCoy]

I have vague recollections of hearing about the firm early on and that they were making a sub from carbon fibre. A middling GCSE technology student could most likely list the ways in which that is a fucking silly idea in the first place.

You're probably witnessed a carbon fibre bicycle component failure.
Remarkable stuff, light, stiff, but when it fails it fails without warning.