It's on! Sea Shepherd has Japanese whalers on the run

[lemon]

The horrifying thing that comes through in many of these threads are the number of armchair enthusiasts who support harming, or even killing human beings based upon said armchair enthusiast's Finding Nemo-like understanding of world events.

It is strongly suggested that said armchair enthusiasts who believe that humans are a blight upon the planet begin the healing process by removing themselves from the equation.

now that's ironic.

 

[lemon]

"at any cost"

your words, not mine.

 

[Mr.X]

The horrifying thing that comes through in many of these threads are the number of armchair enthusiasts who support harming, or even killing human beings based upon said armchair enthusiast's Finding Nemo-like understanding of world events.

It is strongly suggested that said armchair enthusiasts who believe that humans are a blight upon the planet begin the healing process by removing themselves from the equation.

A huge generalization. These discussions are hopefully about informing the world about the plight of the environment, and about pressured species like whales, fish etc. Remember, that at one point the great whales were near extinction due to the unregulated greed & efficacy of some fishing nations. Kind of like the banks and the economy right now? Some of us has spent time on the front lines of the whales wars and those that haven't IMO seem rather well informed. That said, no one likes being backed into a corner.

I don't think that anyone here wants anyone to get hurt. However, when you have to act physically (and with big metal objects) people do get hurt. To the best of knowledge no one has gotten seriously hurt in these decades of confrontations. This is actually somewhat miraculous considering the numerous times there have been close calls. While I understand the heated nature of this discussion, and some of the POV's it's in the end really about shutting down a antiquated industry (that doesn't listen, or care) that is hugely wasteful of natural resource and plundering in a marine sanctuary.

X

 

[wardric]

I don't think that anyone here wants anyone to get hurt.

X

Unfortunately, altough I know it's not your case X, it's pretty obvious some people here want exactly that.

 

[lemon]

Unfortunately, altough I know it's not your case X, it's pretty obvious some people here want exactly that.

I doubt that.

Personally, i'd be delighted to see the japanese whaling ships resting on the ocean floor. That said, I don't wish for the whalers themselves to be hurt.

 

[adurso]

A huge generalization.

As is yours

These discussions are hopefully about informing the world about the plight of the environment, and about pressured species like whales, fish etc. Remember, that at one point the great whales were near extinction due to the unregulated greed & efficacy of some fishing nations. Kind of like the banks and the economy right now? Some of us has spent time on the front lines of the whales wars and those that haven't IMO seem rather well informed. That said, no one likes being backed into a corner.

Many of these discussions lose way when those who advocate violence from the comfort and safety of their computer chairs begin spouting their pseudo macho nonsense.

I don't think that anyone here wants anyone to get hurt.

It comes up over and over again in these types of threads.

However, when you have to act physically (and with big metal objects) people do get hurt. To the best of knowledge no one has gotten seriously hurt in these decades of confrontations. This is actually somewhat miraculous considering the numerous times there have been close calls. While I understand the heated nature of this discussion, and some of the POV's it's in the end really about shutting down a antiquated industry (that doesn't listen, or care) that is hugely wasteful of natural resource and plundering in a marine sanctuary.

X

There is never a need to act physically, in matters such as this. Advocating violence will result in violence repaid in kind.

A worthy enterprise, such as cetacean protection, should occupy the moral high road.

 

[wardric]

I doubt that.

you're new here. Wait and you'll see them appear.

 

[Mr.X]

As is yours

Many of these discussions lose way when those who advocate violence from the comfort and safety of their computer chairs begin spouting their pseudo macho nonsense.

There is never a need to act physically, in matters such as this. Advocating violence will result in violence repaid in kind.

A worthy enterprise, such as cetacean protection, should occupy the moral high road.

I can understand your perspective and appreciate the need for a higher ground. That being said, the reason why Watson & crew evolved towards a more physical stance was out of sheer frustration. What do you do when you see a species vanish before your very eyes & you know no one (politically) gives a ____p. It was the Nixon/Ford/Trudeau era then.

It became apparent in the mid 70's that no one was going to step up and try to end the slaughter. The diplomacy wasn't working as most nations saw extinction as a low-priority global issue vs commerce. There were many, many times I went around and talked to folks about it (the Japanese) and tried to get some common ground, or embed some level of education/cooperation. I can tell you that when I went to Japan during an Expo junket I was treated like a pariah. They could give a sh_t. Talk about Macho - the diplomats, or reps. (if they showed up) treated the women advocates very poorly. Since I was a Gaijin (foreigner) they thought I didn't understand conversational Japanese. A mistake. I heard their conversations. The sheer disdain they held for others was a sad note which indicated that educating some in Japan would be a decades long process. Generational really. What's really ironic about the whole thing is that no one really needs whale meat in Japan, and that they are a HUGE global and technological power - yet cannot represent themselves fully as a part of a global environmental cohort.

While these threads can get rather hot, I would advocate to all - if you care about the oceans and the whales - educate as many people as you can. Let them know this goes on and that the Japanese fishing industry continues to bully it's way around the world and feels no compulsion to listen, stop, or to hunt to near extinction highly pressured species.

X

 

[D_B]

"at any cost"

your words, not mine.

Sure looks from his actions that Watson and crew feel that way .. and I thought you were one of his supporters ... so?

 

[D_B]

Learning and educating others is the right thing to .. bullying others, even for a good cause, is not

but .. (I'll have to look again), I did not think the whales that Japan hunts are on a endangered list or on the brink of extinction