Opinions on Whale Wars?

[gigastar]

"International waters."

Thats why theyre allowed to get away with it.

Also i sided with the whalers on this after i saw a clip of one of the whalers saving the life of some anti-whalers who just sunk thier boat trying to ram the whalers boat, and the anti-whalers instead of showing gratitude for having thier lives saved set about throwing just about everything they could lift overboard and screaming at the captain.

 

[DarkRyter]

This video seems relevant....

Gonna be honest, the Australian guy speaks really really really good Japanese.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

"International waters."

Thats why theyre allowed to get away with it.

Also i sided with the whalers on this after i saw a clip of one of the whalers saving the life of some anti-whalers who just sunk thier boat trying to ram the whalers boat, and the anti-whalers instead of showing gratitude for having thier lives saved set about throwing just about everything they could lift overboard and screaming at the captain.

But then why haven't they been arrested the moment they make port?

 

[G32420NL]

FUUUUUUU, i banned that crap out of my mind, that program ranks just above crabfishing programs in my mind but just slightly, like a guy above me said, the southpark episode on the topic nails it, TV really did go to shit fast.
Now we have hillbilly's making illegal moonshine on discovery channel D:
Saw a program on national geographic a while ago where they strip a car and sell the parts...and that's it :/
Guess it's my fault for only taking the standard cable package.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Is this the show where Americans in a boat try to stop Japanese whalers from Whaling in either Japanese or, International waters? If that's the show I'm thinking of then I'm totally in favor of the whalers. Yes, their profession is grisly but it's a profession none-the-less. Let the people get on with their work dammit, it isn't as though they're purging the entire ocean of every last whale out of hatred of the species.

 

[jklinders]

They get away with it because their actions take place in international waters. The only law they can be charged under is the international law of the sea. And maybe the law of whatever flag they are sailing under right now. It's the same reason the Japanese whalers can do what they do. These waters fall under no one's jurisdiction.

Commercial whaling is a crock. the animals are endangered and I hate the fact that they are being hunted into extinction. But Paul Watson is an asshole par extraordinaire. He has conducted similar operations against sealers and let me tell you that the seal population is under no threat whatsoever of extinction.

Whatever else, he is putting humans at risk, deliberately. The lives of his crew and his targets are routinely at risk because of his actions. Once upon a time they hanged people like him. Now they get their own fucking propaganda TV shows.

No thanks.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Now you're just being confrontational for the sake of it instead of trying to push a discussion. You are telling me that my stance is wrong, in no uncertain terms, that I should not be supporting Japanese whaling (which I never once said I did support), and you are ignoring the actions that these eco terrorists are taking.

Well, as an interesting sidebar to this discussion...

Would you break the law for a cause you believed to be just? A cause you did not think could be addressed through legal action, either in time or at all?

Maybe I'm just interested by my own question, but I honestly don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand, this is the logic that actual terrorists use to justify their actions (and yes, suggesting there is a collation between Watson and, say, people who walk a chest bomb into a cafe is a bit comical). On the other hand, watching the biosphere slowly unravel because people are too lazy or too selfish or too corrupt to do anything about it is extraordinarily alarming and depressing. And whenever someone does attempt to do something about it outside of legal channels we cluck our tongues and brand them eco-terrorists. History would seem to vindicate the theory that significant social change occasionally requires individuals willing to become monsters for their cause. Are monsters an acceptable price for revolution? I can't say.

I've also noticed a trend...at least in this community if not society at large...to snidely dismiss any form of activism or CARING as laughable. It's a curious form of cynicism...almost a malignant apathy. That's kind of neither here nor there, mind you. Just an observation, and not about you specifically. Pretty fucking evident in this thread, though.

Let the people get on with their work dammit, it isn't as though they're purging the entire ocean of every last whale out of hatred of the species.

Does it really fucking matter WHY they're purging the ocean?

"Hey...are you guys doing this out of hatred?"
"No! No. Profit motive!"
"Oh, okay then."

Seriously? This is the same fucking community that loses its mind over a $10 DLC because 'corporate greed'.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Localised whaling for small communities, fine.

Large scale commercial whaling, fucked. Stupid on a level that's rarely seen and is one of those things reserved for the highest order of cunts on this planet. Seriously, whales can't breed as fast as these idiots want to kill them. Is it really that hard to understand??

I'm not a sandal-recycling, tree-hugging hippy. I know where my food comes from. This is merely a case of sustainability.......oh, and exploding harpoons.

I find the way the large whaling ships act absolutely abhorrent. And I can't understand why the rest of the world has tolerated their shit for so long. If I were in charge, I'd have sent battleships to sink them a long time ago.


Now I'll just sit here and wait for that twat Hardcore Gamer to show up and defend them!

This guys right on the money.

If it comes down to us losing the whales, then really I have to side with the Anti-Whalers. We can't be fucking with our ecosystem. That shit will collapse. We'll all be fucked because of it.

 

[spartan231490]

In my completely uninformed opinion based solely on youtube clips of the series, I have to side with the whalers. I may not agree with excessive whaling, but at least they don't fucking ram their ships into other vessels to make a point.
It just boggles my mind that these assholes are able to get away with this shit and haven't been charged. But that's just my opinion. What do you think about these 'save the whales' activists and their war against the Japanese whaling industry?

Edit: found a better video to show what I mean about the Sea Shepherd intentionally ramming japanese whaling vessels.

I agree with you. That these fucks get away with obstructing people in the course of legal activity just because it's international waters is bullshit. The fact that they get a show and a fanbase is purely appalling. Personally, if I had any part to play in this show, it would be as a guy on one of the whaling vessels with an AR shooting at the whale-wars people, in my mind they deserve it.

I mean, whaling is pretty abhorrent, about as bad as any commercial process ever, but that doesn't give you the right to ram ships and obstruct people as they go about their business. Their are legal channels for this. If they aren't working and you really want to change something, then go ahead and blow some ships up, but then turn yourself in to face the consequences. What these morons are doing won't help save the whales, it's just a bunch of childish idiots trying to get attention and their 15 minutes of fame.

 

[Flames66]

My opinion at the moment is that I respect anyone willing to put their life on the line for what they believe. As for right and wrong, I have no idea and don't claim to have enough knowledge to make a judgement.

 

[Neonbob]

They suck. Flat out suck.
Just for one, they wrecked the goddamn BatBoat.
I really don't think another reason is needed, but it's also a personal hatred of them.

 

[twistedmic]

]What? Because the Westerners are jerks you side with the Japanese who are lying about what they are really doing? Really? Tell me, are you also ok with animal cruelty because PETA can be annoying? Regardless of how Sea Shepard acts, you should be against illegal whaling that is done by the Japanese under the mask of "scientific research".

Do we actually know that the Japanese Whalers are lying? Is there any proof? Or do we just have the word of the militant anti-whalers?

How do we know that Sea Shepard and his crew aren't lying about Japan's illegal whaling operations?

 

[Overusedname]

good question, how do they get away with this? im fairly sure ramming your boat in to a another boat is illegal, i mean endangering peoples lives is surely not a legal thing?

To be honest I've been wondering similar things about your avatar being allowed on this site.

It's...hypnotic.

...What were we talking about again?

They suck. Flat out suck.
Just for one, they wrecked the goddamn BatBoat.
I really don't think another reason is needed, but it's also a personal hatred of them.

And given your avatar, I think it's already clear what side you're on.

 

[scorptatious]

I don't support whaling in the slightest.

That being said, these activists guys seem to be taking their fight against whalers a little to far. I mean ramming another boat?

Of course ever sense I heard about how the captain faked being shot, I kind of lost respect for them anyway.

They suck. Flat out suck.
Just for one, they wrecked the goddamn BatBoat.
I really don't think another reason is needed, but it's also a personal hatred of them.

Your avatar is quite appropriate for this thread.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Now you're just being confrontational for the sake of it instead of trying to push a discussion. You are telling me that my stance is wrong, in no uncertain terms, that I should not be supporting Japanese whaling (which I never once said I did support), and you are ignoring the actions that these eco terrorists are taking.

I'm not ignoring the actions that they are taking, I just realize that they seem to be the only people actually doing anything about it. Everyone else is getting caught up in bureaucratic bullshit formalities with the IWC.

If you would kindly answer the question I posed, rather than attacking my stance because I think that one group of assholes ramming another group of assholes offends you so much.

Until the IWC actually does something useful about the actions of the Japanese whalers, it seems that Sea Shepard is the only one getting any results(though that's not saying much and in case its brought up, I don't support terrorism).

]What? Because the Westerners are jerks you side with the Japanese who are lying about what they are really doing? Really? Tell me, are you also ok with animal cruelty because PETA can be annoying? Regardless of how Sea Shepard acts, you should be against illegal whaling that is done by the Japanese under the mask of "scientific research".

Do we actually know that the Japanese Whalers are lying? Is there any proof? Or do we just have the word of the militant anti-whalers?

How do we know that Sea Shepard and his crew aren't lying about Japan's illegal whaling operations?

Look at the video I posted, the Australian guy points out the bullshit about how its required to always kill whales for "research". The Australian government even pointed out how the "scientific" claim was crap. [http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/burke/2012/mr20120309.html?utm_source=mins&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed]

 

[KingofallCosmos]

Is this bout that pathetic liar? South Park's been there, carry on!

Whales emselves? do something about it u intelligent beasts! Otherwise just stick up yer thumb!

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

In my completely uninformed opinion based solely on youtube clips of the series, I have to side with the whalers. I may not agree with excessive whaling, but at least they don't fucking ram their ships into other vessels to make a point.
It just boggles my mind that these assholes are able to get away with this shit and haven't been charged. But that's just my opinion. What do you think about these 'save the whales' activists and their war against the Japanese whaling industry?

Edit: found a better video to show what I mean about the Sea Shepherd intentionally ramming Japanese whaling vessels.

What? Because the Westerners are jerks you side with the Japanese who are lying about what they are really doing? Really? Tell me are you also ok with animal cruelty because PETA can be annoying? Regardless of how Sea Shepard acts, you should be against illegal whaling that is done by the Japanese under the mask of "scientific research".

This video seems relevant....

You're equating me disagreeing with Sea Shepherds with endorsing illegal whaling. I don't like whaling, but I also think that they should be allowed to sail without being rammed by a bunch of goons in a fifty foot long ship.

And drop the PETA crap. They kill more animals in their "care" centers than a lot of the people they target. Whether or not the whaling is legal, what the Sea Shepherds do IS illegal. And the Japanese don't try to assault other ships.

I may also like to add, in for ships, right of way rules and avoidance of ramming into another boat is always top priority on the high seas. You know why? If you hit another car while going 50 miles an hour your all kinds of screwed. Now imagine you car weighs 50 tons and doesn't have breaks. Ramming into another is going to do a LOT of damage and get a lot of damage if they hit another. Many people on both ships could DIE, if one ship isn't cleaved in half by the other. It is basic Newtonian physics.

 

[direkiller]

Its a lesser of two evils kinda thing isnt it.

On one hand we have the Whalers who hunt an already endangered species.

On the other hand we have a twat called Paul Watson trying desperately to be some kind of sea vigilante.

They hunt Minke whales which are not endangered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minke_whale



as for whaling provided it is done responsibly I see no problem with it.

 

[Ron Alphafight]

I support neither side. There is always another way to make your point or to try and get something changed. They could take legal channels, and although probably slow, they would make a difference. Instead, these pricks just go out and risk getting people killed (even though all involved are pricks).

My opinion at the moment is that I respect anyone willing to put their life on the line for what they believe.

I also respect people who are willing to put their lives on the line for something they believe in. But I have zero respect for the Sea Shepherd people because they put OTHER people's lives on the line.

 

[NiPah]

I always thought episode 4 of Cowboy Bebop when they meet the "Space Warriors" was a parody of the fight between the whalers and the Sea Shepards.
On Whale Wars, I see it as a bunch of idiots overreacting to animal abuses, I only watch it to root for the Japanese whalers (thankfully they normally come out on top). I might find the act of whaling to be morally questionable, but no more or less then over fishing and other animal meat industries.