What is Digg?102 Comments
- monkeywithagun, on 10/19/2009, -9/+47I support their cause, but I do not support them.
They are so ***** self righteous and twatty about it. I'm all for saving the whales, same with the environment, but in my eyes, these idiots and Greenpeace too, do more harm than good. No politician wants to be seen to give in to their behaviour, so what are they achieving as they cruise around in their ancient, fuel guzzling ship? One or two saved whales a year, and a lot of lives put in danger. This is what happens when well meaning amateurs get their hands on money. - GrodyChamp, on 10/19/2009, -4/+31Whale Wars is some of the greatest unintentional comedy on TV.
- funklor, on 10/19/2009, -10/+30Too bad the Japanese aren't actually doing anything illegal. And I really mean that, too bad. Sea Shepherd can ramble on about IWC moratoriums all they like but the truth of the matter is the IWC has no legal authority at all. Compliance is voluntary, the Japanese choose not to volunteer.
That aside, I'm for them obstructing or otherwise getting in the way of the whalers, but if they pull ***** like ramming, and sabotaging radar (Whale Wars shows how truly incompetent/insane these people are) , propellers, ... then I hope the Japanese just shoot them. - dhichens, on 10/19/2009, -3/+18Shouldn't they be using sailboats? Do they have any idea how much fuel they are wasting with that thing?
- Soniti, on 10/19/2009, -8/+22Call them what they are: They're ***** eco-terrorists.
Just because they have a "Save the Whales" agenda doesn't mean that their tactics are any less egregious or infringing on someone's (totally legal within quota) right to hunt whales. Using acid, barbed wire, and a "can opener" to cut open ships is not "eco-defense", that's ***** terrorism at sea.
There's a reason they can't make port in several different countries. - DaviDTC, on 10/19/2009, -0/+11According to its mission statement, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society "uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas".[36] Direct actions have included scuttling and disabling commercial whaling vessels at harbour, ramming other vessels, throwing glass bottles of butyric acid on the decks of vessels at sea, boarding of whaling vessels while at sea, and seizure and destruction of drift nets at sea. As of 2009, Paul Watson has said that the organization has sunk ten whaling ships while also destroying millions of dollars worth of equipment. He considers the actions to be against "criminal operations" and has called the group an "anti-poaching organization".[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Shepherd_Conserva ... - Soniti, on 10/19/2009, -4/+13Way to go with the "you people" comment- Congratulations on being in a country outside the United States.
No, seriously, good work- Do you want a ***** cookie? You can poke fun at the US government- (Though I fail to see what the Patriot Act has to do eco-terrorism; it's okay, you get Interwebz points for mentioning it, x2 for doing it derisively!) however, it doesn't diminish what these people do are acts of TERRORISM. Let's break it down to a definition here.
They intend, through the power of intimidation (Acid, barbed wire, GETTING YOUR SHIP SUNK) to cause their targets (whalers) to not do something that is totally legal. That's called..well, I won't use the word again. I'll give you enough credit (Which I really shouldn't..!) and assume you can figure it out. - prisoner24601, on 10/19/2009, -7/+16OK, as a right-wing, free-market conservative Republican, I'm normally one of the guys with a lot of skepticism towards eco-anything, but Whale Wars was interesting enough to make me do MY OWN homework on the subject. In the end, for me the issue is that Japanese whaling is only permitted for RESEARCH purposes, and they killed over EIGHT HUNDRED Minke whales in 2005.
"Hey captain, we killed another whale and packaged its blubber for sale in the markets of Japan."
"Great, what valuable research did you gain from this?"
"Well we learned that if you shoot a harpoon though a whale it'll die, and we learned that it's profitable to kill whales and package their blubber for sale in Japan"
"Outstanding work. But let's not be too hasty in our conclusions here. Why don't you repeat your research another 799 times to see if you get the same results."
I mean, give me a break here. I don't even necessarily see any inherent moral problem with killing whales in principle any more than killing cows so I can have a Big Mac, but I'm just insulted that Japan says this is somehow valuable research that demonstrates ANYTHING of significance. I mean do they honestly think we are ALL utter MORONS here? That absolutely none of us would be able to see this is fake research? - nullcodes, on 10/19/2009, -10/+19Killing one whale saves over a 25 billion krill and ocean plankton .. and thousands of small fishes too. Fishes whose lives Sea Shepard sees no value in.
I firmly believe Sea Shepard is a terrorist group that endangers the lives of human beings on the Japanese vessels. - AgentBers, on 10/19/2009, -2/+10Ah damn. It's a cool boat, but these idiots will ruin it within a half-season.
Props to GrodyChamp, it is at least funny as hell. Anyone catch the episode where they rode out a storm by Antarctica by hiding behind an iceberg. "We're so F****ing clever, the real sailors didn't think to do this". Next morning, sea ice that just about ate their ship. - Mustangarrett, on 10/19/2009, -0/+8Agreed! I love how excited they get when they find a whaling ship. They act as if they are prepping to storm the beaches of Normandy.
- jixx3r, on 10/19/2009, -0/+8nice to see Batman doing some good for once.
- Ghostalker, on 10/19/2009, -1/+8This type of design (Trimaran) is going to be taking over naval vessels in the future. They can carry more, move faster, and withstand higher waves then current monohull designs. The Navy has their own line of ships coming out based on this design if anyone's interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence_%28L ... - garagethrash, on 10/19/2009, -1/+8They do occasionally whale in Australian waters, which is illegal.
- rmxz, on 10/19/2009, -1/+8"...sunk ten whaling ships... "
Hmm. Modern day pirates? - BebopsRuin, on 10/19/2009, -4/+10Its a pretty boat, but a stupid group which got it.
Seriously, they are intentionally placing themselves in harms way to save a whale. Then they will claim it was the Japanese whaler's fault. How arrogant of them. Maybe if they lose enough ships and lives they will realize that their method of tackling whaling is terroristic, idiotic, and ultimately more damaging to their cause then they realize. - genjiworks, on 10/19/2009, -3/+8Yes, we should stop eating the damn whales a dolphins! We should instead keep breeding more cows... whose methane is causing 20% of the earth's greenhouse effect. For me food is food... It's like people in India who find the cow sacred. You don't see them going around sinking ships that carry beef patties/cows because they think they are righteous.
But, does not bother me at all... they may stop one ship... but that means the other whaling ships just pick up the slack. - everywhereasign, on 10/19/2009, -3/+8Chilean Sea Bass is a creature in danger of being over fished. It can still be fished legally in certain circumstances. Without the demand, there would be no illegal "slaughter" of this fish, which would solve the problem. But, if I were to run into a downtown restaurant and start throwing smoke bombs in the kitchen, and then explain. "Well, by preventing people from cooking sea bass, you prevent them from buying sea bass, and then prevent the slaughter of an endangered creature." People would brand me a terrorist, and rightly so.
Politics and consumer education is slow, boring, and really not very sexy compared to ripping open boats and attacking whalers. It's also the way the civilized world makes long term changes that actually make a significant difference in the environment.
The people tying themselves to trees don't save the rain forest, millions of people choosing more environmentally friendly alternatives to raw paper pulp do. - jtscira, on 10/19/2009, -1/+6Holy crap does that thing fly ?????
- Subduction, on 10/19/2009, -0/+5My favorite part was when one of the crewmen decided to make a list of pros and cons of leaving.
As the camera panned over the list, just out of focus in the corner, one of the pros said "no more ***** vegan food." - genjiworks, on 10/19/2009, -4/+9So wait a second... They plan on challenging the Japanese Whaling Fleet with a REAL fast speedboat on sometimes turbulent arctic waters with lots of waves? I don't need to see where that is heading... a speedboat going real fast on high waves means disaster.
Example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5LfdmwSdHo
Those crashes occured where there is no waves... imagine that in the arctic water. I mean their speedboats were somewhat struggling in those waters... imagine going even faster. - Enderplayer1, on 10/19/2009, -0/+5Was batman a consultant on the design of this ship?
- askantik, on 10/19/2009, -0/+5Thank you. As a pretty "liberal" guy, I'm "reaching across the aisle" here to agree with you.
- newes, on 10/19/2009, -1/+6I loved the part where the dude staged being shot. What a dick.
- DeadFox1, on 10/19/2009, -0/+5we thankyou for your kind comment.
-krill of the ocean - darkwing81, on 10/19/2009, -4/+8. ..and generating a lot of PR for their cause.
- rockon4life45, on 10/19/2009, -6/+10People eat whales and dolphins in Japan. What makes them so special and worth than human life is beyond me.
- Subduction, on 10/19/2009, -0/+4Sure, let's compare TVP lasagna and kale pan-dowdy recipes sometime...Can't wait!
Actually I'm kidding -- I have friends who are vegans, one a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, and I'm constantly amazed at the foul-tasting compost they wax rhapsodic over, but to each their own.
And let's be honest, just stop and imagine for a second what untrained cooks, cooking for a large crowd perhaps for the first time, some of whom have probably never cooked vegan food before, manage to come up with from *boat supplies.*
(Shudder) - j0hn, on 10/19/2009, -1/+5Looks like it came out of thunder in paradise.. I bet hulk hogan drives it, and it transforms into an armored boat with missles
- prisoner24601, on 10/19/2009, -0/+41) I'm honestly not sure what you're trying to say here.
2) If you actually are trying to defend Japanese whaling as legitimate research, then I'd love to hear you share with me ANY fact (even one solitary piece of information) that they discovered by killing the 800th whale of the season that they didn't know when they killed the 799th? (Or the 1st for that matter...) - faceless323, on 10/19/2009, -1/+4Does it turn into a jet ski if it gets in a wreck?
- kernel16, on 10/19/2009, -8/+11They prevent the Japanese fishing fleet from meeting their quotas, therefore, preventing their investment in sending out their ships from paying off, eventually go bankrupt. That's there strategy at least, whether it's successful I don't know.
- mikelanghorst, on 10/19/2009, -1/+4"Link to the eco-terrorism incidents, please. "
Well, I'd consider intentionally ramming a ship in the open ocean to promote fear and intimidation to meet that definition. google "Whale Wars" on Animal Planet, right there on the final episode of last season. - krisdahl, on 10/19/2009, -0/+3Couple issues @CronosPerros: The fact of the matter is that Japan is allowed by the IWC agreements to issue licenses to their citizens to whale for scientific purposes, including population control. Minke whales, by far the most commonly harvested, is as far from endangered as you can get (Least Concern). This is the same status as White-Tailed Deer, a common starling or a rock dove (Pigeon).
Contrary to your psuedo-belief, they are not breaking any law by culling the Minke whale populations. It may be contrary to the spirit of the IWC agreements, but it isn't illegal or poaching.
Plus, even if I do see someone poaching bald eagles, I'm not legally allowed to shoot them or physical attack them like the "Sea Shepard" folks have. What is happening with the Sea Shepard folks is would be akin to harassing and eventually shooting a hunter with a legal deer tag just because they believe it *should* be illegal to hunt for deer.
Really this comes down to the fact that whales are anthropomorphic--as soon as an animal seems human-like all rationality goes out the window. - H34d5h0t, on 10/19/2009, -3/+6Let's take your argument point by point shall we?
1. "No matter how barbaric, primitive, unnecessary and inhumane to kill an animal that's probably smarter than you at least from what I've read so far?"
How is our "unnecessary" culture worse than USA slaughtering thousands of cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals?
And calling me less smart than a whale is irrelevant, not to mention absurd.
2. "Actually I've seen the show along with millions of others"
What show? The show that shows Sea Shepards point of view?
"they've chased and killed those whales in the open sea"
We've never went out and chased whales. An excelent example of how propagandous the show is.
" I don't believe a steel harpoon in your back and towed along side the ship for hours until you bleed out is quick and painless."
We don't use harpoons. Another fine example on Sea Shepard lying. The only place on Earth where they still harpoon whales is the sea around one village in the Carribeans. How do I know that? A man went to our collage, studying for his PhD, has been there. He's comparing our culture to theirs. He even mentioned how stupid comments on Youtube on whaling were. Very unlike yours, except yours is more intellectual (grammarwise at least).
We haul them on a beach with a blunt tool, cut down their necks. They die within 2 to 10 seconds, depending on the cutters' experience.
3. "You gotta love the tactic of accusing someone of spreading propaganda to distract attention away from your own."
I'm not posting propaganda. I know from experience. From the inside. Not what fanatics accusing us of animal cruelty promote.
4. "The STFU or are you just confused which side of the debate you're on?"
Being objective never hurts. I do care about the climate. I just don't think ramming into ships and throwing molotows is the right way to do it. Besides, whale killing is NOT worse than filling whales with mercury, which bigger countries spilling waste are doing.
5. "No difference? I'll let your own statement argue against you. "..The damn propaganda is making our lives miserable.""
I meant difference on the subject of the climate.
And please stop with the ad hominem (Don't counter argue with me posting ad hominem myself. If I did, I did it because you did)
6. "Yeah, your country is doing a pretty good job of that without Sea Sheperd's help."
How so? Our country was rated the best island paradise by National Geographic. I don't represent our country, btw. Don't say that The Faroe Islands are bad because you don't like me.
7. ""And other countries' as well."
You mean the other countries that don't kill whales?"
No. The other countries that do kill whales.
:-) - Kingster, on 10/19/2009, -0/+3This boat was designed for global circumnavigation. It is a sealed cockpit, self-righting design, and has a wave piecing hull. Pretty cool tech, actually. They won't have any probs in the Antarctic, except for whalers.
- H34d5h0t, on 10/19/2009, -3/+6That burger you've been eating? Guess where it's from.
Unless you're a vegetarian. I'm not going to go there. - purkel, on 10/19/2009, -1/+4im surprised a hippy hasn't died on this show yet. they take the most unskilled, uncoordinated, unathletic nerds and they expect to do all these military maneuvers and stuff... its almost a matter of time before something catastrophic happens.
- JackOpfor, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2I was about to say that thing needs some exocets or silkworms!!
- newes, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2On his show he "got shot" by the Whalers and magicaly his badge stopped the bullet from hitting him right in the heart. He even had a badge with a bullet in it.
- CronosPerros, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2Wow... Wow... you morons. I am utterly disappointed at the digger crowd in here. I thought that this tended to be a group of open minded, environmentally savvy progressives. Are you seriously calling these people terrorists?
Let's change the scenario a bit for the sake of argument. Say the whales were bald eagles and say one of the largest economic powers in the world decided it would be awesome to continue to venture off into a protected reserve to hunt the bald eagle so that they could make millions of dollars a year in sales of bald eagle stew to restaurants schools and what not. Now say that the there were a group of patriotic, America loving citizens that said, ***** that *****, and decided to use every possible direct action to stop them, including pelting them with stink bombs and road blocking their vehicles. And WHY would they be taking direct action you ask? Now imagine that said large economic power used their power to get other countries, including the US gov't, to ignore their illegal actions by threatening to withhold shipments of PS3s and Wiis? Would you rather that the activist bald eagle protectors do nothing besides whine and moan to the US gov't that continues to do nothing, or would you rather that they continue to harass the ***** out of ILLEAGLE POACHERS WHO ARE BREAKING INTERNATIONAL LAW AND A MORATORIUM AGAINST KILLING the bald eagles, or would you prefer they do nothing of the sort because direct action to protect the bald eagle would constitute TERRORISTS!? - ITSpecific, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2Needs more guns!
- monkeywithagun, on 10/19/2009, -3/+5That one is - their main ship, the Steve Irwin, is old as *****.
- krisdahl, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2@askantik You should read up a little bit on IWC before talking about "International Law", etc.
IWC and compliance is voluntary, indeed membership is voluntary and can be denouced at any time. It is not a treaty organization.
They aren't breaking any 'international law', or technical even an IWC agreement.
So yeah, this is an ideological thing, not a legal thing. The are ramming, boarding and attempting to sink ships due to their ideological beliefs. I don't throw the "terrorism" term around lightly, but the shoe fits. - ptoomey, on 10/19/2009, -1/+3I'm intrigued by their dedication but their execution leaves a lot to be desired. They have been woefully outgunned as far as equipment goes and their tactical strategies suck balls.
Now that they will be getting a little more in the way of hardware it will be interesting to see if they can get someone involved who has some decent tactical experience to help them use it.
The only reason they stopped the whaling fleet for the years they did was because the Japanese let them. Last season showed that as soon as the Japanese decided to just go fishing they did it with impunity. If these guys want to actually have a shot at stopping them they will need some real weaponry such as water cannons bigger than the whalers are using, low level lasers for temporary blinding, directed microwave weapons, etc. All the new "less than lethal" military hardware that's becoming available.
Of course this will only escalate and I really question if they can beat the Japanese in the long term based on the extreme financial difference between these two groups. I'm also wondering if they didn't get into trouble with the country where they registered their ship over that collision last year. I know the Australian government knocked their dicks in the dirt over that. If they don't get a country to give them a flag to fly they may not be going anywhere. Even with that, I would imagine Australia could just refuse to let them dock which would make things interesting. - nullcodes, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2Umm, look on youtube there is more than enough footage of them boarding ships and damaging them by ramming or disabling the rudder. Ramming a ship can easily cause casualties, for example a person could be flung and hit their head on something. Or a hull breach can cause the boat to sink. A disabled rudder could make the ship unable to steer from hazards. Also, when they board ships like that .. it makes it hard to defend against pirates, because how do you know if you're getting boarded by pirates or an eco terrorist group protester who may require less than lethal force? What if the pirates dress as eco terrorists? Anyway the main point is causing physical damage to ships by ramming them or spraying chemicals on the crew is putting lives at risk. Eventually Sea Shepard is going to directly cause a fatality. And what justice for the crew member who dies? Probably nothing.
- nilhilustfreder, on 10/19/2009, -1/+3carbon offsets are a joke
- Kalior, on 10/19/2009, -4/+6Ah yes, a terrorist group attacking Japanese vessels who have committed no crime except for offending their personal sensibilities. ***** these idiots.
Obligatory link:
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=wh ... - H34d5h0t, on 10/19/2009, -1/+3Whale burger actually doesn't sound so bad :3
But I meant slaughtered animals - Captain Obvious - askantik, on 10/19/2009, -0/+2While I don't necessarily support a lot of what Sea Shepherd does, I'd hardly call them "eco-terrorists" (as many people have done on here), but I don't see the need to kill any animal. To me, a whale is not any more "important" than a cow or pig or chicken-- all are sentient beings that feel pain and suffering, the same as we do. However, there is also the fact that whales are a big part of the marine ecosystem... We're ***** those ecosystems up badly enough as it is, even without whaling.
We need to chill the ***** out, IMO. -
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