Finally, Greenpeace gets called to account

A dollar won't buy what it used to. Sliding into a new Weimar Republic through massive printing.

 

I am always quite surprised by the logic of certain organisations in deliberately attacking or hijacking state installations, and then the immediate cry for due process from the lawyers to have access to their clients. (For the record I am an attorney.) A few years ago they tried to access our nuclear plant in Cape Town. They have rammed ships off Japan. They seem to have little regard for the safety of those who are at risk trying to subsequently rescue them from the water, or retrieve them from arbitrary locations on oil rigs. But upon arrest they immediately and often without fail claim intimidation, being frightened (in this article) or having harrowing experiences. I just find this thinking so bizarre: I will risk your life, damage your property, then you must rescue me, often at risk to yourself, and then you must treat me fairly, and if I have any bruises from resisting arrest I shall scream brutality. After all, all I did was attempt to hijack a state installation. And my mommy will be worried about me.

I can break any rules I wish. But I shall thow a tantrum if you don't treat me fairly and leniently. This is an irony I just can't get around.

(I sometimes wonder if Greenpeace could achieve more support with peaceful rallies and awareness than appearing to be nothing more than eco terrorists.)

 

Key phrase for understanding: Media exposure.

Greenpeace has understood how it works for the big media. The more spectacular, risky and anarchist the feat, the more likely it is that it will be shown in the prime time.

Imagine a guy who hears talking on TV about Greenpeace and about their adventurous and rebellious expeditions. Those strong images makes him wonder why they are doing it. So he goes to the Greenpeace website to get more info, and there he gets involved in the cause through informative readings, like the ones in my post #11 here.

At the end of the process, the guy has learned something he probably wouldn't be told about by the mainstream media, and will decide whether he supports or refuses the Greenpeace cause.

At that point, the mission of the activists who have obstructed the Japanese whalers or climbed up the oil rig has been accomplished.

 

Good point.

 

You certainly don't. It seems you would rather take every opportunity to attack the values of conservatives, the traditional values most of us grew up with.

 

As an Eastern Canadian I like most north east men of the sea have a love hate relationship with Greenpeace and a definite disdain for Paul Watson and His Sea Sheppard Society. This resulting from their distorting and outright lying about the harvest of wild animals in order to suck money from ill informed and brainwashed donors. On the other hand I do hold a lot of respect for some of the other causes Greenpeace take on. The Sea Sheppard Society like Greenpeace pushed the envelope in Canadian waters which resulted in charges laid and their ship being seized. In the case of the Japanese mammal harvest (dolphin and whales) and the Canadian, and other countries harvest of seals, if it is scientifically shown that it endangers the species or is being carried out inhumanly then by all means oppose it. Being a hunter I do so myself. Regarding the Canadian harvest, in the past yes a minority of the hunters were guilty of being inhumane in their methods. As a result the entire sealing industry paid the price but it resulted in a much more regulated and humane hunt. In the long run it will pave the way for other countries to follow. Believe it or not the U.S. sealing(mammal harvest) industry was the biggest in the world, and will eventually re open. It will be publically driven to do so. Ask any coastal U.S. fisherman, Rich Ocean Front Landowners, Cape Cod businessmen, if there should be a regulated seal cull/hunt. I'm getting a little off subject here re the Greenpeace incident but I just wanted to make the point that these organizations get themselves in trouble thru greed and emotion by telling half truths and using extreme measures.This only serves to counteract the cause and kill public interest in a subject that needs attention. If I were a Greenpeace leader and opposed the Japanese mammal hunts I would use my hard earned donors money more wisely instead of cruising around the world in quasi luxury. Example, thousands of ads showing the harvest of these animals as a tool to persuade the public not to buy Japanese made vehicles. Then again I'd bet my bottom dollar over 50% of the Greenpeace members,donors,and supporting public, would have to destroy their own vehicles. As former President Bill Clinton in a talk show last night stated ,(not his exact words) "People verbally oppose but often vote for." In other words talk the talk but don't walk the walk. Yes Greenpeace got themselves into hot water and for what ?--Is an oil platform in the north seas any more harmful than one in the Gulf of Mexico, Grand Banks of Newfoundland, or on the North Slope of Alaska. They would be arrested just as fast in Canadian or U.S. territory/waters as they have been in Russia. Should we expect anything less ?--Definitely Not.

 

Can someone please explain to the non-US participants to this discussion, what the hell are you folks talking about?
What are exactly these "liberal learnings", what are the "conservative values"?

 

I love my neighbors to the south,and of those i'm not quite sure of myself but it certainly has the U.S. government in a deadlock. Possibly it's that elusive characteristic that separates the psychic of our two peoples

 

The values I was raised with are at least as old as this country, and members of my family have been citizen soldiers for its entire existence. We put our money where our mouth is. Every generation we earn the right anew to speak up, and join the debate about where the country is going and what it should do.

I don't appreciate people who try to hijack and redefine American history, American culture and American values for their own partisan political purposes, or their attempts to unilaterally cram their beliefs down my throat while wrapping themselves in the flag.

So tell me: what 'traditional values' do you think my family missed instilling in me, as I was growing up?

 

Spewed my drink on that one.

Never deride a stutututututterer.

 

At least some of the policies you support will lead to the destruction of the civilization you and your ancestors lived, fought and died for. Are you ready to stand up against an occupying UN force?

 

An occupying UN force in the US? Sure, focus on that. Meanwhile, Zombie Hitler sneaks up behind you, with his co-horts Satan and Unwashed Hippies closing in on the sides.

 

If you refer to Troy's recent reiterated usage of olive oil for his recipes instead of the traditional butter, then I cannot disagree. Definitely not in line with the traditional American recipe books, and hence definitely subversive.

 

Please go ahead and joke. When you have the yoke of slavery around your necks don't look to me for help because I will already be room temperature.

 

Off-topic rant

Hoyt, we are already enslaved, both me and you. And not by the liberals, or the ecologists, or the Chinese, or the terrorists, or any similar well-visible (for a good reason, I suspect) entity.

We are enslaved by our own rotten economic and monetary system, and the yoke is called "debt". Debt, which comes in the form of credit cards, money loans, taxes, insurance, and many other financial forms - which add very little to the quality of our lives but take away nearly all of our freedom. Don't believe me? Try not to pay taxes this year. Or a loan installment.

But that's definitely not a theme for a boating forum, I am afraid...

Cheers