Skip to main content

PIECES OR PEACE

Lt. Kerry USN at Vietnam War Congressional Hearings

Secretary of State Kerry at Syrian Strike Congressional Hearings
 
Once again we are hearing testimony at Congressional Hearings on both the Senate side and the House side.  Surprise, surprise the same person is involved after 42 years - but what a different viewpoint.  At that time Kerry asked "How do we ask a man to be the last to die for a mistake?".  Perhaps Mr. Secretary of State by not repeating them - sadly we continue to do so.

For once it would be nice if when persons became Politicians they maintained there original viewpoints and when the occasion arose in their time stuck with their original beliefs and Declared Peace not continue to blow the World to pieces by Acts of War.

They would do well to remember a story told in the Middle East about a scorpion who wished to cross the Nile River.  He spotted a frog and asked him to take him across on his back.  The frog refused saying "You will sting me and I will die".  The scorpion said "No that would be foolish if I did that I could not cross the Nile".  So the frog allowed him to climb on and headed across the Nile River.  Halfway across sure enough the scorpion stung the frog who said  "Why did you do that now I will die and you will drown".  The scorpion replied "Ah but this is the Middle East".


Count D. Peter Boucher, Kt. SMOM.
International Master Mariner (Retired)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f
Post a Comment
Read more

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch
Post a Comment
Read more

BOUILLABAISSE

TAAF Service vessel operated by CMA CGM TAAF Regional flag Well now let us see if here at NAUTICAL LOG we have got a grasp on things simmering in the pot. It seems that when the anti-whaling campaign started out some years ago it was between Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds and the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australians came down to their own Southern Ocean Territory in a chartered civilian vessel one year. Beyond taking photographs and returning some Sea Shepherds to their ship the MS "Steve Irwin" not much was accomplished. The Greenpeace crowd then dropped out and Animal Planet boarded the MS "Steve Irwin" to shoot 'reality TV' and so Whale Wars came into being. This resulted in some deplorable behaviour on all sides and some appalling exhibitions of seamanship - or rather total lack of seamanship by the Sea Shepherds. But now there was money coming in which could be spent on - well nobody really knows what the money is spent on. New Zealand made it q
Post a Comment
Read more