Bystander apathy 2.0
Of course, we all use this in when we teach bystander apathy with this classical case:
Now, a more contemporary case, different time, different circumstances, same effect:
“The passengers queuing for British Airways flight 77 from Heathrow comprised the clientele that might be expected to board a flight bound for a mineral-rich African country.
Many of those waiting at Terminal 5’s Gate A18 at 7.40pm on Tuesday night were expatriates – including British, Canadian and American engineers heading out to work in Angola’s lucrative oil fields.
Only one passenger, Jimmy Mubenga, was dreading his arrival at Luanda airport.
Within 50 minutes, his muscular 6ft body would be laid out along an aisle at the rear of the plane, seemingly lifeless, as the aircraft was diverted from the runway and returned to the stand, where paramedics were waiting.
Mubenga’s last 50 minutes alive were tonight under investigation by detectives from Scotland Yard’s homicide squad. The death of the Angolan father of five while he was being deported, after losing a legal appeal to remain in the UK in August, is being treated as unexplained.”
Except it does not seem like it is unexplained. The man did not want to be deported. His guards decided to restrain him. He complained about not being able to breathe for 10 minutes and then died, in front of the passengers. None of them did anything as the guards were putting him in a position that killed him.
Verstaan we de tekenen des tijds? Soms biedt een week televisiekijken veel moois. Ik bedoel niet de bordesscene van het nieuwe kabinet en al het wezenloze gekeuvel daar omheen. Maar het is wel mooie achtergrond, waartegen andere dingen zich scherp aftekenen. Ik heb het over Tegenlicht van 10 oktober, met de uitzending waarin Tony Judt optreedt en het tweegesprek van Blair en Bos, als Pauw en Witteman special (zie hieronder). Beide uitzendingen waren open, spannend en onbevredigend. Zij roepen vragen op die blijven rondzingen. Dat doet televisie maar weinig, dus als dat gebeurt mogen de zenders worden geprezen.