Cave accident reveals togetherness of accidental humans
Place Donald Trump, Prayut Chan-o-cha, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in a room together and they wouldn’t agree on many things. That goes for the rest of us too – from football lovers split into rival groups of fans with mutual hatred for each other, to believers in God who kill each other over whose version of the Supreme Being is better. Then 13 youngsters became trapped in a flooded cave, with time running out in a hurry. Religious, political, social and sporting rivalry suddenly ceased to exist as a result. Western experts joined hands with their Asian counterparts for a frantic rescue attempt. Media outlets put ideological differences on the back burner and focused entirely on the boys’ precarious plight. Partisanship was put aside, and, for once, football players, their coaches and their clubs melded in unison. Their singular focus narrowed down to 13 starving people desperately longing for food and daylight. Around the world, film stars, athletes and celebrities took a break to deliver messages of hope and solidarity. In faraway lands, netizens poured their concern and best wishes through social media channels. “We are hoping every second that you see the daylight again,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, said, as rescuers battled desperately against time and rising water to save the Wild Boars football team. “The real heroes,” said his Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho as the world heaved a collective sigh of relief last Tuesday, “are not at the World Cup. They are in Thailand.” Diplomacy, dictated by self-interest and geopolitical hard truths, stepped aside. This was certainly no time to talk about trade tariffs, intellectual property violations, or human rights records. International politics at the highest level was brought low, to the level of ordinary people around the world who were hanging on the fate of 12 boys and their coach in Thailand.
