Fourteen people are dead. They aren't dead because of a hurricane, a shark attack, or a spontaneous hull failure. No, in a twist that defies logic, they are the latest fatalities of a **Greek coastguard collision**. Let’s pause to analyze the spatial dynamics here: we are talking about the **Mediterranean Sea**. It is vast, wide, and devoid of traffic lights or narrow lanes. Yet, in miles of open water, a coastguard vessel managed to slam into a **migrant boat**. It takes a special kind of navigational incompetence to crash into the only other object in the water.

Official reports state there was a "pursuit" near the island of **Chios**. That is the terminology used to frame this as legitimate police work. They were chasing a vessel to allegedly stop a landing or check papers. Well, congratulations to the authorities on their efficiency; they stopped them permanently. This is the grim reality of the current **EU border policy**. It is a deadly game of tag involving desperate people on floating junk and uniformed officers in high-velocity interceptors. When you play **high-speed chase** in the middle of the sea with fragile boats, people don't get a ticket—they drown.

Fourteen bodies. Likely including children. All so a politician can claim the border is "secure" and a bureaucrat can check a box. It is pathetic.

Now, watch the PR cycle spin. The officials will emerge in nice suits, put on somber faces, and call this a "tragedy." They will promise an "investigation," which is government-speak for burying the story in paperwork until the public interest bounce rate drops. They will blame the smugglers. While smugglers are undeniably scum for monetizing danger, they didn't pilot the state's boat into the migrants. The government did that. But don't expect them to admit it.

Look at the macro view. The European Union loves to hold meetings about human rights in air-conditioned rooms. But out on the water, their operational strategy is effectively a demolition derby. When you push people back in the middle of the ocean, the only direction they go is under. Meanwhile, the political discourse is just noise—the Right screaming about invasion, the Left screaming about heartlessness, with neither side offering a viable plan. It is theater, and the ticket price is fourteen human lives.

Think about the panic in that moment. A small boat, the roar of a faster engine, lights, shouting, and then the crunch of impact. The irony is sickening: the "Coast Guard" failed to guard anything; they caused the wreck. We are watched over by reactionaries who are flailing around, breaking things, and killing people by accident or apathy.

Tomorrow, the news cycle will refresh. A celebrity will divorce, the stock market will fluctuate, and these fourteen people will become a statistic in a spreadsheet in Athens or Brussels. The ocean is big enough for everyone, but our greed and incompetence make it feel very, very small.

***

### References & Fact-Check * **Primary Source**: [Fourteen migrants dead after collision with Greek coastguard boat](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdre825p110o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) (BBC News). *Confirmed: Collision occurred during a pursuit near Chios.* * **Context**: The incident involved a high-speed pursuit of a boat suspected of transporting migrants from Turkey, highlighting ongoing safety concerns regarding **Mediterranean Sea crossings**.