There are general critics of Matt Walsh on RedState. I am not one of them. I am generally a fan, often a big one, and I respect him for sticking his chin out on the hot-button issues, particularly his pushback on trans-Munchausen parents who willingly mutilate their children. But there are moments when Walsh takes on an issue and opines on a given subject, and it’s a head-scratcher. Wednesday was one of those days.
While social media is heavy with criticism of OceanGate’s titanic and ongoing failure, Walsh was defending the billionaire tourists stuck at crush depth of the frigid North Atlantic. His critique was simple:
“Why is social media rooting against billionaire tourists?” And: “What do you have against them?”
Walsh claimed that social media and many of the people he admires were cheering on the rolling tragedy of five Titanic tourists stuck in a tin can, languishing in darkness, starving for oxygen, waiting to die. He likened them to trailblazers – Neil Armstrongs with fat wallets. They are risking death to go “where no one has gone before.” Walsh said, along with other silly comparisons, that the five shivering rich people (perhaps dead by the time this publishes) were in a select group of fewer than 250 humans to go the site of the rotting, rusting Titanic. It was an act to be honored, not vilified or mocked.
Walsh then defended the people getting into what he admitted was a “tin can” and thought the reason that social media’s “peanut gallery” was mocking tourists was because they are “rich.”
Walsh said he admires people who do daring, often suicidal things:
“[For] the sake of exploration and discovery. I respect that…the world needs people like that. And don’t tell that, oh it’s not exploration it’s just rich people on vacation…stop that, they are going to a place where almost no other human has been, they are going to the bottom of the freaking ocean, you idiot.”
But the OceanGate owners admit – it’s a minivan with a pressure hull.
It’s an experimental submersible vessel, it has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death.
This is not your grandfather’s submersible – we only have one button and it shouldn’t take a lot of skill.
Some of the “shelves” in the Titan were bought from Camper World, and the submersible coffin is controlled by an [Xbox] game controller.
Walsh then mocked critics by reminding them:
“You have never done what [just] 250 people have ever done… and you never will.”
Cool. You’re right, Matt; less than 250 Buddhist monks have ever set themselves on fire. They were definitely trailblazers – for sure. Getting into a contraption that has Camper World shelves and is controlled by an Xbox game controller doesn’t sound like a trailblazer–it sounds reckless, stupid, and suicidal. Just over 11,000 people have climbed Everest. Three hundred and ten have died trying. Guess what none of them did, even the dead ones? None of them tried that climb with store-bought gear. No one was wearing Lululemon leggings and a coat they bought at Ross Dress For Less. Sorry, I am not getting into a submarine that has features that are sold at an outdoor store or Best Buy. Hey, you want to go to the moon? Here’s a capsule that you can control with a game controller. On the way up, you can play “Dungeons and Dragons.”
My objection to the entire operation is that OceanGate didn’t hire based on skill–it hired with DEI in mind. No white men allowed. Not “inspirational.” Sorry, if you’re excluding a vast segment of skilled labor, you are an idiot. “Isn’t inclusive” isn’t a valid reason to cut corners. You get what you deserve. I had my own take:
I don’t wish those people ill, but I am also not going to pin a “hero” medal on their chests, either. In my opinion, they aren’t trailblazers – more like actors in “JackAss” movies or perhaps contestants in the Darwin Awards.
Walsh concluded by opining:
I think you have to respect it, at least.
No, actually, I don’t.
Sorry, Matt, you’re all wet on this one.