Ady Gil (Earthrace) Sunk By Japanese Whalers

If you consider breaking and entering a couple of vessels at the dock in Norway IIRC and sinking them "a little bit" and ramming vessels at sea the same, yeah.

I assume you're saying that he was arrested, convicted and sentenced.

I don't believe so, I'm not even sure he was personally there, but they were bragging about it, oh...around 20 years ago. They (SSF) made it public knowledge, same as a terrorist group claims their actions. It basically ended, or coincided with the end of, Norwegian Whaling, so it worked. Paul's Direct quote in an interview over the event, and I'm working from memory here, "Our objective is to make it so costly that they will not be able to operate with economic practicality (whaling is a business) or be able to insure the vessels."

That's called protesting and evidently doing it effectively. If there were any proof beyond a bragard using a circumstance to promote his cause (whether or not he or they were actually involved) I'd expect the authorities would have taken action in the past 20 years. You're a bit light in throwing around the "terrorist" label.

I thought protesting was walking around with a homemade sign stating your grievance. I didn't know ramming ships, boarding ships underway, and sinking ships was "protesting".

Or is it just that all the rules don't apply to you if your hoodlum activities hide behind a "politically correct" cause. As mentioned earlier, nobody will touch him because of the fallout. So he can say and do anything he wants.

If you are a captain as your name implies, it really surprises me that you are so quick to defend him no matter what. You would think there would be some sort of respect for other mariners. What is someone took issue with something you did and rammed you at sea? What about the crew on those whaling ships? They are just doing their job and trying to provide for their families. This man respects nothing that I can see and gets none from me.

I did see that they are bragging about "sinkings" on utubes that showed their propaganda. They had a sign board up that claimed "two sunk".

Why not lobby or protest the body that created the "research" loophole and get it closed? They could "protest" and make some signs and embarrass them into fixing it if they are so popular. Seems like this would be the way to actually fix the problem. Although that probably would get them fame, money, and a TV show....

His own statements and actions are clearly terrorist to me. No cause short of an actual war would justify this behavior in my book.

I won't debate this anymore after this post. There is not much more to say here.

Causing fear and destruction to advance an agenda, I consider that terrorism. Destruction of property goes over and beyond the barriers of Protest.

You don't have to believe me, it's on Sea Sheppards website, though it appears I was incorrect as to the whaling ending there since it appears that they sank another one in 2009 bringing up the count to 6, but it appears they formed a splinter group Agenda 21 that independently and annonymously carried out the last 4 sinkings.

Whoa!

If the last part of your post was possible it would have been done. In fact it is because the Japanese keep bribing and manipulating the IWC that Paul Watson has had to resort to these tactics. No doubt he is an extremist but without him there would be NO news about the whales being slaughtered by the Japanese using politics, money and bullying to keep them going. The fight is dirty and tough because the Japanese have chosen to skirt the law and LAUGH at the people who do care for a future. As for terrorists, remember the Rainbow Warrior? The French Secret Service thoght they could get away with that act and using the Pacific as their backyard for Nuclear testing. It was "extremists" who put a stop to that although looking back we must all wonder why we ever allowed the French or US or anyone do such things.

In a few years Paul Watson will be recognised for putting his words into deeds and if that means having to resort to extremism then it is the fault of all of us in AUDIENCE that have allowed the Japanese to get away with their CORRUPT ways with the IWC.

Pretty much. He has removed himself from the realm of regulated activity in the pursuit of his cause and is taking it on as he sees fit. I am sympathetic to the cause as are many, so it doesn't really bother me and he has international popular support. Even in his rammings, he does so with a consideration for life giving warnings so guys can clear the area before he runs a low angle intercept and breaks off any gear he can. Thing is though, when you remove yourself from regulation, you also remove yourself from the protections the regulations afford you. If someone put a harpoon through the wheelhouse window and killed him while he was on a ramming run by, well, he bought that one. I would not elect to prosecute over his death. When you set your own rules, you have to live (or die) with the consequences.

thank you.

I'd encourage the Japanese to stop hunting whales and start hunting and harvesting members of "Agenda 21". For research purposes mind you...

That is my other problem with it. He starts a dirty fight then cries if he loses. (murder charges on the Ady Gil issue? give me a break) Like a typical terrorist, the rules are for everyone but him.

Don't watch the news too often, eh. 1968 Democratic National Convention, Kent State, NYU, Columbia U., Civil Rights, Tiananmen Square, US Embassy Iran, G8 Summit, the recent elections in Iran, etc., etc. All of those 'protests' involved destruction of property and several involved loss of life. Guess you just haven't been involved with too many protests. Considering the history of protests around the world Sea Shepherd seems positively benign.

So you are advocating murdering a nuisance? Interesting.

Sounds like you have.....

I am advocating his joke. Which I though was hilarious.

Wait, I kicked myself off this thread. I better go.
Hopefully I won't feel the need to respond to personal attacks.
Lots of big egos on this list, but that's ok.

I think sinking several ships qualifies as something slightly more than a nuisance. A fly at a picnic table is a nuisance. These wannabe Seal teams are trespassing and destroying private property. I'm very surprised they haven't encountered armed resistance yet.

These are the same people spiking trees, burning SUV's and throwing red paint on people wearing fur. I could never hurt an animal, but I really don't care about the welfare of these people. If something dreadful happened to them, I would have difficulty suppressing a smile.

Good comparison, because when the mayhem started, they were no longer referred to as protests and became "riots". Mayhem is when it is no longer a "protest*" I grant that SS is pretty low key when compared to what could be, but it is still over the line, and crossing the line is like being pregnant, there is no "kinda...".


* I use the Ghandi rules to define protest, and that seems to be a pretty common definition.

That's what the "gun control" agenda has bought us, a bunch of unarmed vessels open to acts of piracy. One day though someone doing one of their high seas boardings is going to take a 25mm flare to the face if not a 12 gauge and OO and get tossed over the side into the props. Most of the kids he has running with him are a bunch of idiots. Boarding a vessel at sea without permission is an act of piracy which is justifiably dealt with by summary execution. I'm not sure how aware they are of that. Personally, I think the Japanese have shown remarkable restraint on this.

I think if you applied the Rules and Rulings of the Americas Cup

To Whaling, the whole thing would be so infinitely hung up,

That it would be to the betterment of all parties.

jsi

The land comparrison to that would be shooting your neighbor because he intentionally annoys you. Even if he breaks your windows you'll be heading for jail. Seems to me the Rambo Captain you're looking for would be useful near Somalia. This is a game the whallers and SS have been playing a long time. It's high stakes poker. The Japanese captain would be well advised to exercise complete restraint and descretion. The captain who hit the Ady Gil will not be having fun for the next year or so at least.