The BBC wire reports another ferry disaster, this time off the coast of Indonesia. Five dead, 41 missing, out of some 250 souls aboard. A fire, they say. Another maritime tragedy, another day, another reminder of the fragility of life and, frankly, the varying standards of governance across this wide world.

Now, I’m not one for grandstanding, but when you hear about these things, you can’t help but think: is it really that hard to keep a vessel seaworthy? Or to, at the very least, have a plan when it isn’t? We’re talking about basic competence here, folks, not rocket science. And yet, time and again, we see these catastrophic failures in places where the rule of law, or perhaps just common sense, seems to take a holiday.

I always scratch my head when the so-called ‘global community’ – usually those folks in fancy suits jetting between Davos and Geneva – talk about universal rights and common standards. They trot out their endless pronouncements, but you look at a situation like this, and it’s plain as day: some things just aren't universal. Like the expectation that a public transport vessel won't spontaneously combust with hundreds of people on board.

It’s not just about Indonesia, mind you. You see it in various forms all over, particularly in nations where the government’s primary concern seems to be holding onto power rather than actually serving the people. When the state is weak, or corrupt, or both, the consequences ripple down to the ordinary citizen. And sometimes, those consequences are paid in human lives, bobbing adrift in the ocean.

Burke, that wise old soul, understood that society isn't just a contract; it's a partnership between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born. Part of that partnership is the quiet, unspoken agreement that the institutions designed to keep us safe will, in fact, do their job. When a ferry goes up in flames, it's not just a mechanical failure; it's a breakdown of that fundamental trust.

And let’s be honest, we in the West, particularly our more… progressive circles, often shy away from calling a spade a spade. We tiptoe around cultural sensitivities, afraid to point out that sometimes, incompetence is just incompetence. We’d rather invent some complex socio-economic explanation than admit that, in some places, the basics aren't being met because the people in charge aren't doing their jobs.

This isn’t about casting stones; it’s about observing reality. When a government can’t ensure its ferry fleet is safe, what else can't it do? And what does that say about the promises of progress and development we constantly hear from international bodies? Perhaps it’s time for a bit more honesty and a bit less hand-wringing from those who claim to speak for the world. Because for the folks on that ferry, drifting and dying, abstract ideals mean precisely nothing. What they needed was a working life vest, a fire extinguisher, and a government that cared enough to make sure they were there.