Defeat is bitter. And often people are not seeing the positive behind it. They see only the fact that they have lost. People and countries are doing much to overcome defeats. Example Second World War Germany and its propaganda machine, Iraq, the Soviet Union, and so on. They all have something in common. They lying to themselves to minimize the defeat. Or they not mentioning what is in the end the same. The United Kingdom had as well some defeats in his history. One was the race to the south pole. One of my first idols, the Norwegian Amundsen, challanged the proud English Empire and won. Scott, the English guy, had died with his whole team on the way back to his homebase after he found the Norwegian flag at the south pole. The story is one for the dramas. I understand this. But what I'm not understanding is why Amundsen is the bad guy in this play. At least you have the impression after you visited the not so impressive Antarctic and Underwater World in Auckland. Scott is the hero. Amundsen? There was a Norwegian guy who reached the pole first, who challenged Scott, who was cheating (because it was said that Amundsen had no scientific interest in his mission and so he needed not too much stuff to carry around), finally who stole victory from the proud Kingdom. This is the impression you have as long you are not reading between the lines: Scott leaded his men like a platoon. Amundsen treated his guys as equals. Scott used Siberian ponies, Amundsen took dogs which proved great reliability under arctic conditions. Scott had more stuff with him, Amundsen less (I would say, this is under the circumstances not cheating but thinking). Amundsen has known the Inuit way of life and tried to adapt it. Scott was knowing the military stuff. For the British team it was a tragady but it was for sure not necessary. It shows again that the military way is not a good way. It is a stupid and idiotic kind to treat people. The officers think often they are superior to others (something you can easily see if you are talking with some retired German ones - my advice: Don't do it!) but finally they are nothing. They can not think, they can follow only commands and procedures. Like the nowadays cool Top Gun pilots sitting on their wings and looking at people like they are better. But finally they are only replacable because it is easy to give a machine commands and procedures and this will happen (the good thing is that maybe friendly fire will reduced a little bit, because the cowboy pilot with his mind in the beer glas and his finger on the trigger will vanish).
The race to the south pole showed it again who is really superior. They guy who can think and who is learning. Amundsen: One of my first heros. And this Antarctic World changes nothing: He will be a hero for me in the future as well. By the way: Amundsen not only conquered the south pole. His life is worth to be investigated. Believe me.