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> What kind of hubris could look past that huge red flag? I don't think it was outright hubris. I think it was commercial necessity, driven by the business mod
by gnfargbl 3y ago
> What kind of hubris could look past that huge red flag?
I don't think it was outright hubris. I think it was commercial necessity, driven by the business model that OceanGate used: Rush needed rich tourists to fund the business, and he got rich tourists by offering them a close-up view of a famous shipwreck. To give his passengers a view that they were willing to pay for, he needed an oversized viewport.
He had already proven this business model with his earlier submarines, so it is understandable that he wanted to carry it on as he built vehicles intended to go deeper. Less understandable is that he set aside the reality that a large-enough viewport could not actually be safely procured. That's not really hubris though, just plain old profit-driven idiocy. The whole thing feels like it has less in common with the Titanic and more in common with the Ford Pinto.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]