Chilean Miners thread

hotmail.com

murpho999 wrote: »

So only 'wealthy' countries can be proud of their country and achievements?

Did you know that Chile is the wealthiest country per capita in South America?

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile

I knew that. I meant relative in relation to Europe. There are large areas of poverty in Chile and indeed, most if not all of these miners, are poor.

The incessant flag waving and national anthems. I'm not sure what that has to do with this operation. It's getting a bit unsettling.

robinph

baldbear wrote: »

Jesus Sky and the BBC don't have an interpreteur and RTE do.

Yeah they do, but it's on the feed provided by Chile.

Tomohawk

Viva Chile!

Shlippery

Echospace wrote: »

Wouldn't it be funny if they all died in a bus crash on the way home.

Sounds like a great plot for the next Final Destination movie...

hotmail.com

clikityclak wrote: »

Ya, they were all so dignified and respectful to el presidento and what I presume were other senior figures at the mine. That Mario guy(2nd miner out) gave an interview though today criticising the country's leadership and basically the poverty of some of the population...

This is totally correct. Let's see how loyal the president is to these miners in the months ahead.

namloc1980

After the last few years of: recession, earthquakes, recession, terrorism, corrupt politicians, wars, NAMA :mad: etc. the last few days has been a fantastic news story.....well done Chile and all involved. You're an inspiration!

Oat23

Legend, he walks in.

Feel good story of the year.

Einhard

baldbear wrote: »

Jesus Sky and the BBC don't have an interpreteur and RTE do.

It's live on RTE?!:eek: I always thought RTE shut down at 10pm and just popped a statue of the Virgin Mary of ballinspittle up on the screen during the night!!

Bodhisopha

I think the USA deserve a lot of credit in all of this.

murpho999

I know the President is being accused of milking this but I think he deserves some kudos.

He took charge of the mission to rescue them when the mining company couldn't do it and made it a no 1 priority regardless of cost.

He visited the site many times and helped get the country's population behind them and keep the miners' morale up.

He has been there for lots of the miner's exits and has camped on site for last 2 days.

He appears to me to be a nice warm man who seems genuinely moved by the occasion. Couldn't imagine Cowen or Cameron hugging people like that.
Yes, he will get political advantage out of this, that goes with the territory but he has certainly completed the task and this has generated huge positive world publicity for Chile and will only be good for the country and its people.

Thrilled all 33 are out safe and sound and well done Chile.

OPENROAD

Bodhisopha wrote: »

I think the USA deserve a lot of credit in all of this.

Hey don't forget the Irish company that provided the all important drill

chucken1

Einhard wrote: »

It's live on RTE?!:eek: I always thought RTE shut down at 10pm and just popped a statue of the Virgin Mary of ballinspittle up on the screen during the night!!

SSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sir Gallagher

Don Lucho laughs in the face of a stretcher and walks in like a true pimp.

2 stroke

An Irish politician would likely merely have just put in an appearance for a photo opportunity

Doneg Al

I hate how mainstream and famous the miners have become.

I liked it when they were a bit more underground. * *

murpho999

hotmail.com wrote: »

I knew that. I meant relative in relation to Europe. There are large areas of poverty in Chile and indeed, most if not all of these miners, are poor.

The incessant flag waving and national anthems. I'm not sure what that has to do with this operation. It's getting a bit unsettling.

Poverty has declined rapidly there since 1990 and unemployment percentages are way below Irelands.

Have you ever been to Finglas, Ballymun, or Moyross (No disrespect to those areas)....poverty there too.

Have you never seen beggars on streets of Dublin?

The flag waving is because the whole country has got behind the miners and it has become a national issue of pride. Let them have their moment.

You don't have to be rich to love your country.

ballsymchugh

the last few lads are stalking the place looking for stuff that they can flog on e-bay.

OPENROAD

Einhard wrote: »

It's live on RTE?!:eek: I always thought RTE shut down at 10pm and just popped a statue of the Virgin Mary of ballinspittle up on the screen during the night!!

They have lost there Irish accents though :eek:

clikityclak

Bodhisopha wrote: »

I think the USA deserve a lot of credit in all of this.

Fair enough, NASA had a lot of input with their survival regime and the likes. Don't forget the Irish drill though lol! Really though, it's the human side to this story that is so captivating... the endurance and solidarity shown from a lot of parties obviously including the miners, but the dedication and efficiency with which the Chilean govt. organised and financed(?) the rescue.

Bodhisopha

There's some really good coverage of this on channel 955. I think it's a Brasilian channel.

chucken1

OPENROAD wrote: »

Hey don't forget the Irish company that provided the all important drill

Mincon in Shannon

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murpho999 wrote: »

Poverty has declined rapidly there since 1990 and unemployment percentages are way below Irelands.

Have you ever been to Finglas, Ballymun, or Moyross (No disrespect to those areas)....poverty there too.

Have you never seen beggars on streets of Dublin?

The flag waving is because the whole country has got behind the miners and it has become a national issue of pride. Let them have their moment.

You don't have to be reach to love your country.

I don't know what this has to do with Finglas or Ballymun.

But if I was one of those miners or a family waiting, I would not care about national anthems or waving any flags.

Oat23

Bodhisopha wrote: »

There's some really good coverage of this on channel 955. I think it's a Brasilian channel.

Everyone knows the 900's are adult channels :P.

murpho999

hotmail.com wrote: »

I don't know what this has to do with Finglas or Ballymun.

But if I was one of those miners or a family waiting, I would not care about national anthems or waving any flags.

Finglas & Ballymun was to point out areas in Ireland which has poverty and I'm sure you'll find proud but poor Irish people there.

As for the flag waving and national anthems.....just let them celebrate how they want to.....it's their party and they are obviously very patriotic.

Do you expect the miners to come out after 69 days, hop out of the cage and burn the flag out of political protest?

hotmail.com

murpho999 wrote: »

Finglas & Ballymun was to point out areas in Ireland which has poverty and I'm sure you'll find proud but poor Irish people there.

As for the flag waving and national anthems.....just let them celebrate how they want to.....it's their party and they are obviously very patriotic.

Do you expect the miners to come out after 69 days, hop out of the cage and burn the flag out of political protest?

I don't see the relevance of Ireland in this one. Ah yeah, of course they can celebrate and they deserve to. I'm not saying that.

Anyway, let's see who compares the Chilean President and his courageous leadership and our leader, Cowen.

Odaise Gaelach

Oatesy23 wrote: »

Everyone knows the 900's are adult channels :P.

Insert joke about "Deep Chilean Hardcore Drilling Action" here.

Havermeyer

murpho999 wrote: »

As for the flag waving and national anthems.....just let them celebrate how they want to.....it's their party and they are obviously very patriotic.

Agreed.

From the pictures shown on tv while they were singing their national anthem, it looked as though they all knew their national anthem. When was the last time anybody on here was at an event where the national anthem was played, and everybody sang/knew the words?

ballsymchugh

a lot of people are proud to come from whatever countries and will always sing their national anthem with great gusto. going by the threads that are often here, a shyteload of people either are ashamed, or couldn't be bothered about national pride, and that extends to the national anthem. i find it sad, but each to their own.

amacachi

ballsymchugh wrote: »

a lot of people are proud to come from whatever countries and will always sing their national anthem with great gusto. going by the threads that are often here, a shyteload of people either are ashamed, or couldn't be bothered about national pride, and that extends to the national anthem. i find it sad, but each to their own.

Somehow I think most people who know they're going to be on TV singing it would learn the lyrics. Except footballers. :pac:

ballsymchugh

amacachi wrote: »

Somehow I think most people who know they're going to be on TV singing it would learn the lyrics. Except footballers. :pac:

if kevin kilbane can learn the irish anthem, then anyone can! :pac:

Doneg Al

nummnutts wrote: »

Agreed.

From the pictures shown on tv while they were singing their national anthem, it looked as though they all knew their national anthem. When was the last time anybody on here was at an event where the national anthem was played, and everybody sang/knew the words?

No doubt they knew the words, the had two months underground to practice.

ballsymchugh

Job done!

Havermeyer

Doneg Al wrote: »

No doubt they knew the words, the had two months underground to practice.

Is that an excuse you would use for people who don't know their own national anthem? :rolleyes:

PaddyBomb

Those Chilean miners are gone so commercial. I preferred when they were underground.

sideswipe

Now they are finished with that capsule I wonder is there any chance of sending it over here to get us out of the hole were all in!

Biggins

Chile’s big heart has buried its history of dictatorship

The first of the 33 miners to reach the surface yesterday gave a long embrace to the President. Sebastián Piñera, who had arrived hours earlier, beamed from ear to ear.

He is acutely aware that the world is watching Chile as never before — and that over the past two months the Government has turned a large-scale and seemingly preventable mining accident into the best publicity campaign that any country could ask for.

When 2010 began, it looked like the conservative billionaire’s biggest challenge as a new president would be to fight off criticism that his supporters were Pinochetistas — defenders of the military coup — and over possible conflicts of interest with his company stocks.

Instead, the year has been full of surprises, with the miners’ unprecedented rescue — its engineering innovation, international co-operation and sympathy for the common worker — a crowning achievement.

The Government believes that this rescue will be the final piece that transforms Chile’s international image. Instead of being known for its history of dictatorship and human rights violations, a reputation that has lingered despite 20 years of democracy, Chile will instead be renowned for its wealth, its minerals, its organisation and effectiveness, and its big heart.

The past year had set the scene for a change of this magnitude to take place. Early this year Chile was inaugurated as the first South American member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; then, despite criticism within the country after February’s earthquake, it was praised internationally for the building codes that prevented widespread damage. In June La Roja, the country’s football team, proved a delight to watch at the World Cup in South Africa.

Then on August 5 the San José gold and copper mine partly collapsed. The country is the world’s largest copper producer and mining accidents are not all that uncommon.

David Doll, editor of Diario Atacama, the newspaper in the town of Copiapó, said that he expected the coverage to die down after a day or two. Even family members went to the hospital to wait, thinking that the miners would soon be on their way there. Very quickly, however, the mine’s dangerous reputation became known and the Government fired the top safety officials while the world was watching.

Since the possibility of a rescue became clear, the story has ceaselessly made the front pages of Chile’s newspapers. Over the bicentennial celebrations in September, already a fervently patriotic holiday, families toasted the miners, and lyrics to the traditional cueca music were changed to include their story.

Without a doubt the accident has united Chileans, and made those who usually scoff at unwavering patriotism, flag-waving and religious fervour feel national pride and emotion akin to spiritual enlightenment. And the Government is basking in it.

In July Mr Piñera had an approval rating of 46 per cent. The Mining Minister, Laurence Golborne, was at 16 per cent. After contact with the miners, those figures shot to 65 and 91 per cent, respectively. While Mr Piñera has faced some distracting challenges at home during this crisis he has handled them with aplomb.

It is, however, the mine rescue that Mr Piñera has handled most masterfully. He has repeatedly said “The 21st century belongs to Latin America”, and used the international platform that the crisis has provided to expand on his vision of Chile as a new beginning for Latin America.

That was an image reinforced by Jaime Mañalich, the Health Minister, who this week stopped calling the rescue a marathon — as he has done since Nasa experts visited in September, and began to describe it as a rebirth, saying that after two months, the 33 miners were about to be delivered from the mine into a new life.

The Government believes that the rest of the world will see in this incredible, and so far successful rescue, that a new Chile has been born.

Son Of A Vidic

Well done Chile! Nice to see a good positive story with a happy ending for once. Those lads are a credit to themselves, their families and their nation. An inspirational story if there ever was one for sure. I also take my hat off to to the chilean Mining Minister who was present throughout the crisis, he displayed a level of genuine class and dignity that politicians in this country sadly lack. Chile - a country that gives a fcuk about it's ordinary citizens, ''Leinster House are ye watching?, well are ye?'' Because ye might learn something from it ye shower of wasters.

AudreyHepburn

Delighted they're all out safely! Well done to all and credit to those 33 brave men. I don't know how they stuck it out so long!

I loved how this story seemed to bring everyone together worldwide and it is about time we had a happy inspirational story in the News instead of all the gloom and doom.

sideswipe

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Delighted they're all out safely! Well done to all and credit to those 33 brave men. I don't know how they stuck it out so long!

I loved how this story seemed to bring everyone together worldwide and it is about time we had a happy inspirational story in the News instead of all the gloom and doom.

+1 for happy news. Now for some REALLY HAPPY news lets round up some random bankers and politicians and send them down into the hole!

jackiebaron

R_H_C_P wrote: »

Most experienced minors come out first incase of any problems coming up.

Don't you have to be over 18 to work in the mines nowadays?

sideswipe

sideswipe wrote: »

+1 for happy news. Now for some REALLY HAPPY news lets round up some random bankers and politicians and send them down into the hole!

One way trip hopefully!

JerryHandbag

chucken1 wrote: »

Mincon in Shannon

.....which is quite near Limerick. Close enough for me, viva Limerick!!

squeakyduck

I was watching some of the live stream from the guardian website last night. Delighted they got out safely, it was also nice to see the reactions from quiet and crying to absolutely crazy and riling the crowd up! The third guy out was quite a character!

Lovely ending to a sad story!

jethrothe2nd

Spin this, Chile - "Since 2000, an average of 34 people have died every year in mining accidents in Chile, with a high of 43 in 2008." Seen some garbage posted about how this rescue shows what high achievement humans can aspire to. Excuse me? Those men were 700m underground mining metal ore for our consumer goods and trinkets. If they HAD died, it wouldn't have got another mention.

fakearms123

They're making the movie as we speak, going to be directed by McG (done amazing work with Charlies Angels: Full Throttle), Charlie Sheen will play the miner who has a mistress and Sandra Bullock will play the miner's wife. Michael Cera is believed to play the part of the semi-awkward, timid but humourous virgin.

ooPabsoo

Anyone else hear that one of the miners forgot to clock in?:rolleyes:

PaddyBomb

ooPabsoo wrote: »

Anyone else hear that one of the miners forgot to clock in?:rolleyes:

Could be worse. I heard one of them left his phone charger down there.

ooPabsoo

ooPabsoo wrote: »

Anyone else hear that one of the miners forgot to clock in?:rolleyes:

Could be worse, one of them went home and found the phone off the hook and that it was still connected to that €5 a minute porn chat line!

Mr Benevolent

If it was an Irish mine they'd probably drop dynamite down the hole and get RTE to say 'Oops, what a terrible accident!'

TheBigLebowski

33 ungrateful bastards.

Each of them had their lives saved by the spectacular efforts from brilliant engineers and rescuers from around the world. They were saved by people who had trained for years for such an event with years of training and expertise. Some rescuers risked their own lives by goind down the shaft before anyone came up.

And what do these ungrateful bastards say without fail when they get to the top. "I thank God for getting me out alive". How about firstly thanking the engineers and rescuers who risked their own lives to save you rather than your imaginary friend?

RANT OVER :mad: