Posted on 03/20/2014 4:54:01 PM PDT by IChing
People have started to complain about the overwhelming amount of news discussion devoted to the disappearance of flight MH370. The cable news networks and other forums are on it, seemingly non-stop.
This aviation mystery–which may or may not wind up having to do with international terrorism–pushes everything else to the margins largely in part because of the understandably acute residual vigilance and collective mortal consciousness related to the attacks of 9/11/01, and to the other foiled murderous acts involving large passenger aircraft since 9/11.
Besides, it’s just an extremely compelling and stupefying international mystery, which, for better or worse, can take our minds off other grave and vexing matters over which we have perhaps less prospects of ever seeing at least a clear conclusion.
A story about a toddler trapped in a well somewhere could dominate in somewhat the same way, and have people around the world on the edge of their seats, day in and day out around the clock, until the situation was resolved.
Isolated stories of a certain intrigue and profound human interest rivet people’s attention and create a sense of community across the continents, actually. We become massively united; bound together in an almost religious sense of awe and anticipation, our minds and mouths engaged in a frenzied search for a solution. Our appeals even turn to the supernatural, of course, perhaps even more so than regarding our usual, mundane everyday matters.
We hope and pray for a happy ending, for the innocent passengers and their loved ones, as unlikely as it might be. There’s that chance, however remote…there’s also the more likely scenario of a horrible outcome. But either way, there’s something about looking for, looking forward, and tuning in expecting clarity at some point–solving the murky miasma of maddening confusion, for once and for all, after such prolonged suspense.
A clear conclusion does probably avail itself here, eventually, unlike in the case of the crisis over Crimea and Ukraine, the ungodly bureaucratic socialist nightmare of Obamacare, and countless other egregious Obama administration scandals. We’ll not see anything resembling a final answer to the general, stubborn, looming problem of the Middle East conflict, nor of the grand scam of the vast “climate change” hoax. The intricacies, entanglements, and controversies around the gun debate, abortion, schools, or the global financial landscape and domestic economic problems defy any kind of reasonable rectification in the immediate future. But I believe we will find out what happened to flight MH370. And we will stay on the case until we do.
Much like a sensational criminal trial in which we expect a definite verdict, we hang onto every development concerning flight MH370–only that much more because of various added factors; multiplied life and death hanging in the balance, the scope of international intrigue, and the possibility of even more danger in the offing such as the imagined scenario of even thousands more innocents being threatened if the plane is somehow used for a coming terrorist attack.
There is at least one slightly similar missing plane mystery from this young millenium, for which we have not received a clear conclusion–probably because it generated nowhere remotely near the level of attention and concern this one does, nothing like the amount of searching and media coverage. There were no passengers involved, for one thing.
That unsolved mystery originated in the African country of Angola, in May of 2003. A Boeing 727, which had been undergoing work to restore it to passenger-ready status after having been converted and used as a fuel transporter, suddenly and unexpected had its engines started, apparently by two men who had been working on it. Neither of the men were actually qualified to fly the plane. The aircraft was taxiied erratically onto the runway, then flown off, up, and out over the Atlantic ocean. The plane and the men have never been found by authorities, despite a massive investigation and search involving American resources of the FBI, CIA, DHS, State Department, and Pentagon.
I believe we will find out what happened to flight MH370, and to the people who climbed aboard it a dozen days ago. We will stay on the story until we do. We are bound in our search for resolution, for better or worse.
I guess the point I would be making is what if the black box didn’t go off until next month (just for a theoretical example) — let’s say it doesn’t even start pinging until April 10th. That would mean that it wouldn’t stop pinging until approximately May 10th.
Then the other theoretical example is that it may never start pinging at all. In that case, there would never be 30 days to “count down”. The black box (in that case) would never be relevant at all.
I hope you see what I mean ... :-) ...
That’s true nostalgia for me. I remember working that evening (in Portland) and hearing about the hijacking and then later hearing about ole “DB”.
Then there was ole DB’s money that was found near Portland (at least part of it) ... many years later. What a deal!
Why would that be -- black box union rules or is it on vacation or having its period??? :)
The black box AIUI is designed to start pinging when it goes into water. So if it is working as designed and the plane went into the water 2 weeks ago, then it has already been pinging for 2 weeks.
Well ... you see ... that’s the assumption that some people make that we have no way of knowing if it’s a fact or not. We don’t know - for a fact - if the conditions exist for setting off the black box.
It’s one of the speculations as to what happened. It’s only speculation at this point in time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.