Re: Woah. Another news story ripe for an ME campaign

[Leon Harrison <juni0r@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 07:33 7/12/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Leon Wrote:
>"Well it bloody sucks mate.  Heard about it this morning.  If our boys in
>the NZSAS weren't so busy elsewhere might be a good idea if they went and
>did some cleaning up of the other scum in this world.  Mongrel dog tucker is
>all they are.  And there were some idiots out there who went 'oh do pirates
>still exist?'  They sure do, and some of them are a fear bit closer to home
>too.  One of the greatest Kiwi adventurer's ever.  He will be missed.  For
>me, this is far too much a tragedy to play out in a game setting.  Yet, this
>is another act of blatant terrorism, but I doubt we shall see Brazil being
>bombed for the acts of a few pirates.  Though piracy is a global issue. "
>
>Couple of things:
>1)    When an international activist is snuffed and the rest of the crew
>isn't, it doesn't sound a whole lot like piracy.  It sounds a lot more like
>someone is silencing a critic.

Well, actually they tried to kill other crew members.


>2) Pirates don't break into 36-m sailing vessels and 'only steal a watch'.
>Depending on the age and configuration of the boat, there was easily another
>$100k+ in electronics on board (the Blake Expedition web page talks more
>about the boat and makes it sound like the boat was purpose built for the
>expedition).  And they only stole a watch.  Granted, it was an Omega watch,
>but still... the satellite phone used in Antartica wasn't stolen?  GPS?
>Radar?  Doesn't sound much like most pirates, who are in it for the
>economics.

No.  Because Peter Blake had a rifle on board, fired it in self defence, 
and the gutless bastards that they are, decided to high tale it out of 
there.  They're not into taking on people who fight back.  Kiwis tend to 
fight back mate.  Regardless of any 'activist' bent you want to put on it, 
that does not justify murder, nor degrade the gutless attitudes of 
murderous thugs, against someone who was a sportsman and a icon of my country.

>3) I'm somewhat surprised that similar things don't happen more often to
>politically active critics or organizations (someone like the Sea Sheppard
>Society comes to mind).  Not that I'm endorsing it, mind you, but the
>underdeveloped countries tend to look at things a little differently than
>the developed nations.  If you're interested in another brewing situation,
>take a look at some of the arguments over fishing rights in the Galapagos.
>It's basically a corrupt admiral on the take allowing fishing vessels into
>the protected zone and actively taking steps to interfere with enforcement.

I know all about that sort of thing mate.  I was talking about a fellow 
countryman.  I'm glad you're not endorsing it.