American Politics XXI

[Sariel]

I don't have a problem with this. He did apologize, it's out there and probably on The Daily Show tonight. They took it down from their own site after one day. On occasions where I feel obligated to apologize to someone, I usually don't do it all week.

Which is why you're not invited to more parties...

:P

[TrueMetis]

Shouldn't we be arresting him and his entire crew on man slaughter charges?

I don't think he's actually managed to kill anyone (yet) but there are a lot of criminal charges up against him. Like throwing butric acid at people and illegally ramming boats, putting himself, his crew and the japanese whalers into danger. The most annoying thing is how he says what he's doing is legal and what the Japanese are doing is illegal when it's really the other way around. I hope he trys to come to Canada again we'll take the Steve Irwin too, put it right next to the Farly Mowat in the auction lot.

[Peter Irving]

As much as I do think we shouldn't be hunting Whales to extinction what he and his group do borders* on terrorism. Lock them up and throw away the key if you ask me.

*It is borders not boarders right I always screw that up

[Shryke]

I don't think he's actually managed to kill anyone (yet) but there are a lot of criminal charges up against him. Like throwing butric acid at people and illegally ramming boats, putting himself, his crew and the japanese whalers into danger. The most annoying thing is how he says what he's doing is legal and what the Japanese are doing is illegal when it's really the other way around. I hope he trys to come to Canada again we'll take the Steve Irwin too, put it right next to the Farly Mowat in the auction lot.

Fuck the Japanese whalers and their illegal bullshit.

[Peter Irving]

they may be doing something illegal yet you don't commit actions that are just as bad do you?

[Lord O' Bones]

Which is why you're not invited to more parties... :P

Well good. My liver couldn't take more parties.* Also, Norwegian parties must be weird.

*OK, it could.

[Shryke]

they may be doing something illegal yet you don't commit actions that are just as bad do you?

I'm not saying he's right. I'm just saying that him putting the Japanese whalers in danger doesn't bother me at all.

[lokisnow]

That South Park GB parody was brilliant (loved the Casey Kasem kid), makes Jon Stewart look like amateur hour. It's the difference between biting parody and lame caricature.

This and the Whale Wars episode last week are two of the best episodes they have done.

from Cordelia Fine's A Mind of its Own

In a simulation of media election coverage, volunteers read a series of headlines about political candidates, and then gave their impressions of each of the politicians. Unsurprisingly, headlines such as "Bob Talbert Associated with Fraudulent Charity" left Talbert's reputation in tatters. Astonishingly though, the headline, "Is Bob Talbert Associated with Fraudulent Charity?" was just as damaging. And if you're thinking of going into the public eye yourself, consider this: even the headline, "Bob Talbert Not Linked with Fraudulent Charity" was incriminating in the eyes of the readers. Denials are, after all, nothign more than statements with a "not" tagged on." The bit about "Bob Talbert" and "fraudulent charity" slips into our brains easily enough, but the "not" somehow isn't quite as effective as it should be in affecting our beliefs. We are suckers for innuendo, even--as the study went on to show--when its source is a famously disreputable newspaper. Though we all think ourselves immune to it, negative campaigning works.

See also, John McCain did not father a black child and Glenn Beck did not rape and murder...

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

PI,

they may be doing something illegal yet you don't commit actions that are just as bad do you?

I'm not defending this guy's tactics, but, if no one else is attempting to stop the Japanese when they engage in illegal whaling shouldn't someone stand up and do something? Making whaling against the law is all well and good but if no one enforces the law it's rather pointless, isn't it?

[Lord O' Bones]

I'm not defending this guy's tactics, but, if no one else is attempting to stop the Japanese when they engage in illegal whaling shouldn't someone stand up and do something? Making whaling against the law is all well and good but if no one enforces the law it's rather pointless, isn't it?

What law though? Whose law? I'm as anti-whaling as anyone. But, what law is Japan breaking that only some dude in a crusade is fighting against?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

LoB,

What law though? Whose law? I'm as anti-whaling as anyone. But, what law is Japan breaking that only some dude in a crusade is fighting against?

We need Sologdin. This is way out of my field. The International "Laws of the Sea" would be what they are in violation of or some sort of U.N. agreement/treaty regarding whaling. There have to be some sort of enforcement provisions in there.

[Usotsuki]

Nope, the Japanese government is entitled to issue permits for taking whales for scientific research on its own authority without requiring the permission or approval of any other state, international organisation or hippy commune.

[Nymeria Sand]

I don't think he's actually managed to kill anyone (yet) but there are a lot of criminal charges up against him. Like throwing butric acid at people and illegally ramming boats, putting himself, his crew and the japanese whalers into danger. The most annoying thing is how he says what he's doing is legal and what the Japanese are doing is illegal when it's really the other way around. I hope he trys to come to Canada again we'll take the Steve Irwin too, put it right next to the Farly Mowat in the auction lot.

Is this the same guy who was arrested in Pittsburgh at the G20 for the little stunt he pulled on the West End Bridge? (The Greenpeace people who tied up traffic for hours...) When they arrested him, they found out that he was wanted by Interpol for incidents with Japanese whalers and for an incident off the coast of Antarctica.

Ecoterrorist is right.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Usotsuki,

Nope, the Japanese government is entitled to issue permits for taking whales for scientific research on its own authority without requiring the permission or approval of any other state, international organisation or hippy commune.

So if the Japanese government issues permits for its whaling fleet to take all the whales they can kill for "scientific" purposes (you know like eating them to study the effect of whale flesh on human digestion) the rest of the world should sit on our collective hands and do nothing?

[Usotsuki]

Or states which cared could impose sanctions and end fishing privileges for the Japanese fleet or individuals who oppose Japanese whaling could organise boycotts of Japanese products.

It's almost as though there are options apart from terrorism, who knew. :rolleyes:

[Commodore]

So if the Japanese government issues permits for its whaling fleet to take all the whales they can kill for "scientific" purposes (you know like eating them to study the effect of whale flesh on human digestion) the rest of the world should sit on our collective hands and do nothing?

Yes.

I don't see Japanese people coming around telling you what animals you can or can't kill. MYOB.

Or if you must be a meddler, use persuasion, create awareness, start a website, go to Japan and shout from the rooftops, make a documentary. But don't use intimidation and force to impose your morality on someone. That's never justified.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Usotsuki,

Or states which cared could impose sanctions and end fishing privileges for the Japanese fleet or individuals who oppose Japanese whaling could organise boycotts of Japanese products.

It's almost as though there are options apart from terrorism, who knew. :rolleyes:

Did you miss my post above where I said I wasn't defending his tactics? That said without some sort of documentation of Japanese whaling fleet actions, how do you propose public sentiment be aroused for the actions you propose? His direct actions are most definately piracy, but his documentation of the Japanese whaling fleet is essential.

Commodore,

I suppose extinction of every species other than humanity itself is just bad planning on the the part of those species, hmmm...?

[Usotsuki]

Ser Scot, and he or you or the re-incarnation of the Great Pharaoh Rameses II can document the actions of the Japanese whaling fleet till your hearts' content.

But he is not entitled to endanger Japanese citizens or property, even Rameses the Great is not allowed to invent legal obligations out of thin air, and you may not use false dichotomies in argument without getting called on it.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Usotsuki,

Ser Scot, and he or you or the re-incarnation of the Great Pharaoh Rameses II can document the actions of the Japanese whaling fleet till your hearts' content.

But he is not entitled to endanger Japanese citizens or property, even Rameses the Great is not allowed to invent legal obligations out of thin air, and you may not use false dichotomies in argument without getting called on it.

For the third time, I'm not defending his illegal actions. I'm saying the documentation he provides is a good thing. One action does not invalidate the other.

[TrackerNeil]

I don't have a problem with this. He did apologize, it's out there and probably on The Daily Show tonight. They took it down from their own site after one day. On occasions where I feel obligated to apologize to someone, I usually don't do it all week.

You might if a) your "error" was most likely quite intentional; b) it was something you did often; and c) it influenced the opinions of millions of viewers.