You say "escalation" like it's a bad thing. I'm not so sure. If someone elects to fight with you at a level they believe they can sustain, and you elect to end the fight by escalating to a level your opponent cannot possibly sustain, that's just good strategy.
It's not like this is a boxing match under Marquis de Queensberry rules.
Actually, now that I think about it, I'd be very interested in a Sea Shepherd statement clearly defining what the they believe to be the "rules" of this engagement, and why they believe whalers should be boudn by those rules.
If they were trying to avoid a collision then they could have gone into reverse. They do have one I assume? I could also see no hint of a turn by Ady Gil.
Have a look at the video posted in post #33. It very clearly shows the Japanese ship turning sharply towards the Ady Gil (and turning away sharply after hitting it--this is a far more maneuverable ship than some here have suggested). The skipper of the Ady Gil has a classic dilemma just prior to the collision. The Japanese vessel is turning sharply. If he goes into reverse and the Japanese ship keeps turning he might just keep moving into the ship's path. It looks to me like he suddenly guns forward thinking he'll clear the Japanese ship's bow but the Japanese ship just begins the straighten up at the same time.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Sea Shepherd's tactics in general (and if they do try to foul propellers of ships at sea that is also a criminal act that should be prosecuted), the skipper of this Japanese vessel should be behind bars. This was, at the very best, reckless endangerment. At worst it was attempted murder.
With the lack of accountability from the Nations that allow the Sea Shepard to sail under their flag, I believe this was inevitable. Yes, certain legal measures have been implemented against this organization, but not enough.
Let's face the honest truth, the Sea Shepard is an organization, who have on several occasions committed illegal acts against the whaling ships, including trying to entangle propellers with ropes, boarding a Japanese ship, and throwing stink bombs and soap bombs on to the decks. They have claimed to have sunk ships and seem to stop at no bounds to disrupt the whalers.
I don't condone the actions of the Japanese Captain, but it is time to look at personal responsibility. This isn't a game and if you deliberately make the choice to engage in this type of reckless behavior, then you must be willing to accept the consequences. There is no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
As for the Japanese, no they shouldn't have hit the ship, but it could be argued as a case of self defense. With the history of the Sea Shepard, I do believe the Japanese would win if this was ever brought to trail.
I am not sympathetic to tu quoque arguments about how "They did it first." or "They deserved it." These are childish, and the open ocean is no place to use such logic to justify deadly behavior. If this was the result of a deliberate act by the skipper or pilot of the Shonan Maru then they deserve to lose their master's ticket at the very least. Criminal prosecution would be more in order.
I think it is much less of a tu quoque than you are making out, and more of an attempt to show intent from past actions; a self defense argument. If someone shoots another person in self defense, it isn't a tu quoque to argue that it was justified because the other person committed violence against you first.
If the crew of a ship (or several allied ships) are repeatedly engaging in aggressive behavior that could result in the sinking of your ships and the loss of all hands, it is not a tu quoque to point that out.
It is, in a way, similar to navies declaring an exclusion zone around their ships in regard to the ships of specific other navies during peacetime if the countries involved are at high tensions; an exclusion zone that they will enforce with firepower if need be.
It's funny you should use the word "tiger". This incident reminded me all day of that Greenpeace boat called "little fighter" that got run over by an oil tanker in the 80s for similar reasons -- they parked it in front of a larger ship and were surprised when it couldn't stop on a dime after all.
So this band called Glass Tiger had a quasi-popular song called "Little Tiger" that was about that, complete with a video of the footage. Glass Tiger was a really horrible band. Their only other popular song that I'm aware of was a remake of a Golden Earring song (Radar Love). Golden Earring should have sued...
So anyway, yeah -- don't park your boat in front of a moving vehicle!
The band was "White Lion." They also had an equally awful song called "When the Children Cry." I saw them (inexplicably) open for AC/DC and there was this 14 year old in front of us headbanging to it. We pelted him with ice cubes.
That video has you leaning more towards the Japanese? Those guys were relaxing and saying they'd had a hard day. The guy who seems to be the leader tells one of the others to tell the people in the cabin to "stop now", so they can save fuel. Then he talks about refueling. That indicates to me that they were done. They were sitting still in the water, no longer hassling the whalers, when the Shonen Maru charges up and runs them down!
That video is worse for the Japanese than any others yet shown!
That video has you leaning more towards the Japanese? Those guys were relaxing and saying they'd had a hard day. The guy who seems to be the leader tells one of the others to tell the people in the cabin to "stop now", so they can save fuel. Then he talks about refueling. That indicates to me that they were done. They were sitting still in the water, no longer hassling the whalers, when the Shonen Maru charges up and runs them down!
That video is worse for the Japanese than any others yet shown!
Yeah, I'm puzzled too how this one is supposed to look bad from the Ady Gil's p.o.v. It's quite obvious there's no deliberate intention to put the Ady Gil in harm's way. It's also pretty obvious that the Japanese vessel that they were travelling alongside of has turned right around in a deliberate attempt to engage with them, and that it veers consistently into their path. The Sea Shepherd people may be the scum of the earth, but this particular collision was deliberately provoked by the Japanese vessel which went out of its way to attack them.
I would say the captain of that Sea Shepherd boat is just as wrong as the captain of the Shonen Maru. But still the Ady Gil's a tiny boat, and they were run down like a cane toad on a Queensland road.
For starters the Ady Gil were not keeping a good look out. They should have seen the other ship coming. Also they had been engaging in hostile action (This is a pattern of behaviour). That means you can expect the Japanese to react at some stage.
I would say the captain of that Sea Shepherd boat is just as wrong as the captain of the Shonen Maru. But still the Ady Gil's a tiny boat, and they were run down like a cane toad on a Queensland road.
"Just as wrong" seems an overstatement. Unless there are navigational hazards that you can't see from the video, there was no way that maneuver was going to cause any loss of life. It's asshattery, to be sure, but not reckless endangerment or attempted murder. The captain of the Shonen Maru has nothing but luck to thank that he didn't kill a number of people.
For starters the Ady Gil were not keeping a good look out. They should have seen the other ship coming. Also they had been engaging in hostile action (This is a pattern of behaviour). That means you can expect the Japanese to react at some stage.
"Just as wrong" seems an overstatement. Unless there are navigational hazards that you can't see from the video, there was no way that maneuver was going to cause any loss of life. It's asshattery, to be sure, but not reckless endangerment or attempted murder. The captain of the Shonen Maru has nothing but luck to thank that he didn't kill a number of people.
I agree. I tried to change the wording, but couldn't find one. Mind you, continuing to turn into the whaler as they did could have severely damaged the whaler enough to disable it, but it certainly isn't as dangerous as running over a little boat like the Ady Gil.
Something needs to be pointed out here folks. Sea Sheppard foul propellers and screw with equipment, yes. But that's the least of what they do, and I think we need to focus on the extreme end of their actions.
Sea Sheppard ships have, on countless occasions, deliberately rammed other ships, in a clear attempt to sink those ships.
The above is footage of the MV Steve Irwin quite clearly and deliberately turning into the Yushin Maru No.3 and ramming it.
Here's more footage of another deliberate ramming by a Sea Sheppard ship against a Japanese ship.
Note that the Sea Sheppard ship flies a Jolly Roger from its bow. Under International Maritime Law any ship flying a Jolly Roger is considered to be broadcast its intent to partake in piracy, and immediately loses any rights or protections under International Maritime Law. Any other ship may essentially whatever they like with said Pirate vessel.
Given the track record of Sea Sheppard deliberately ramming other vessels and officially displaying an intent to piracy, I think it is only wise that any ship in international waters should presume them to be a hostile vessel. Sea Sheppard ships, therefore, should probably be attacked and disabled at any opportunity.
They are pirates, criminals, and attempted murderers, plain and simple, and they deserve no protection.
And for the record, I am strongly opposed to what the Japanese ships are doing. But I cannot find fault with them even if they did deliberately ram the ship. Were I captain of a vessel on the open seas, and I charged with protection of a fleet of fishing ships, and I to encounter a pirate ship, I would ram it too if I thought my own vessel would not be endangered.
I agree. I tried to change the wording, but couldn't find one. Mind you, continuing to turn into the whaler as they did could have severely damaged the whaler enough to disable it, but it certainly isn't as dangerous as running over a little boat like the Ady Gil.
Something needs to be pointed out here folks. Sea Sheppard foul propellers and screw with equipment, yes. But that's the least of what they do, and I think we need to focus on the extreme end of their actions.
Sea Sheppard ships have, on countless occasions, deliberately rammed other ships, in a clear attempt to sink those ships.
The above is footage of the MV Steve Irwin quite clearly and deliberately turning into the Yushin Maru No.3 and ramming it.
This offers a better angle than the link I posted above. I'd recommend viewers watch this one instead.
Given the track record of Sea Sheppard deliberately ramming other vessels and officially displaying an intent to piracy, I think it is only wise that any ship in international waters should presume them to be a hostile vessel. Sea Sheppard ships, therefore, should probably be attacked and disabled at any opportunity.
They are pirates, criminals, and attempted murderers, plain and simple, and they deserve no protection.
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