The news of a Turkish military cargo plane catching fire mid-air and crashing near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, with all 20 personnel aboard lost, is truly heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to the families and the nation of Türkiye during this difficult time. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's expression of sorrow and the ongoing rescue efforts, as reported by TRT World "Türkiye's military cargo plane crashes near Georgia-Azerbaijan border with 20 personnel on board", underscore the profound human cost involved in military operations, even those not directly in combat.
This tragic incident compels me to reflect on the inherent dangers of military aviation and the intricate ecosystem of defense that often demands such immense sacrifices. We invest heavily in advanced aircraft and complex training, yet the skies remain unforgiving. Accidents, whether due to mechanical failure, human error, or unforeseen circumstances, are a stark reminder of this fragility.
I recall my previous reflections on the sheer economics and moral dimensions of military hardware. In my blog "Going out of business sale" [http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2011/10/going-out-of-business-sale.html], I highlighted how military assets, despite their astronomical initial costs, can rapidly depreciate in value, sometimes being sold off for a fraction of their worth. This perspective gains a somber resonance when we consider the ultimate cost: human lives. What value do we place on the lives of these 20 individuals against the millions or billions spent on the machinery they operated?
Furthermore, this incident brings to mind the broader landscape of defense spending and its global implications, a topic I touched upon in "Four Sides of the Coin" [http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/05/four-sides-of-coin.html]. Even without direct conflict, the constant need for maintaining, upgrading, and operating military equipment, often supplied by foreign powers, creates a complex web of economic and political interests. The drive for continuous innovation and procurement, as discussed in "In Defense of FDI in Defense" [http://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2016/06/in-defense-of-fdi-in-defense.html], keeps the defense industry humming. Yet, every piece of equipment, every flight, carries with it an element of risk that can, as we've seen, lead to devastating loss.
The core idea Hemen wants to convey is this — take a moment to notice that he had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. The relentless human and economic toll of military endeavors, even outside the immediate theater of war, remains a persistent challenge. Reflecting on this tragedy today, he feels a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context.
Regards, Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
No comments:
Post a Comment