So who are the rules for, then? (Clipper Adventurer rant)

The BBQ Pit
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So America forces new safety regulations upon the world July 1st and Icelandic harbors that want cruise ships to visit are now pretty much closed off. I can’t stroll around the pier in Reykjavik on a bright summer’s night, sit down and enjoy the sea air; there is a fucking fence there, just to make sure the terrorists don’t blow anything up. The same goes for all major harbors here in Iceland, one of the safest countries on the face of the planet.

Assholes.

August 13th: Clipper Adventurer sends people ashore the tiny island Vigur in the fjord Isafjardardjup. The harbor (if you want to call it that) does not even come close to fulfilling the requirements of the regulations frm July 1st. Not even close. These are rules enforced by Americans and the fucking Americans are the first to break them.

Motherfuckers.

I don’t know how to search for a cite for the regulations because I don’t know what they’re called in English and my vocabulary doesn’t quite cover this area. Here´s a link to Clipper Adventurer’s Itinerary, though.

What in the wide world of sports is this supposed to mean? Why are you forcing these regulations on us if you can’t even follow them your damn selves? I have half a mind to go down to the harbor and tear the fence down but I’d probably get shot - I think there’s another American cruiseliner there now.

I don’t give a flying fuck how you treat your own; take fingerprints of everyone who flies to the US - doesn’t bother me none, I have nothing to do there. Kill your criminals if you want to, the middle ages suit you fine, it seems. Hell, do whatever you fucking want over there but this is my part of the world and you have no fucking right to tell us how to keep safe,* especially if you can’t even follow the rules yourselves*.

For the record, ships have been sunk in the Reykjavik harbour; in 1986, two ships were sunk here by terrorist Paul Watson (who, earlier that year, had tried to kill some Faroese police officers by shooting at their rubber dingy). Paul Watson is not only harbored by the US - he was given the George Bush ‘Daily point of Light’ award in 1999.

Did i say ‘Motherfuckers’ yet?
Motherfuckers.

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Hello, Iceland!

If what you say is accurate, I can’t blame you for feeling angry at all. Do you have any links to this in English? Or a link to information about Paul Watson? Why would Iceland cooperate with this?

I am just interested.

Thanks!

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Hey, yerself, Zoe.

You can read about Watson’s escapades here, and also at their website, www.seashepherd.org - they are quite proud of themselves.

I can’t find anything in English about the Vigur incident (or, when Clipper Adventurer dropped people off at Strandir the next day, another ‘unapproved’ harbour, albeit in an area uninhabited for half a century), I don’t think the world is as concerned about the issue as i am.

Here’s a link to the story in Icelandic, the gist of it is:

An American cruise liner, the Clipper Adventurer dropped passengers off at the island Vigur yesterday morning, and thereby ignored new regulations of (sailing…safety…thing), according to Gudmundur M. Kristjansson, the (main…harbor…guy) of Isafjordur harbor. The regulations (erm… came into play?) July 1st and are meant to lessen the danger of terrorism and threats towards sailing and (harbor…stuff).

Gudmundur says that the harbor in Vigur is not one of those licensed by the (International Sailing Guys), but 26 harbors in Iceland have such a license. This means the cruise liner can run into trouble in the next licensed harbor, as the harbor authorities could demand a bomb search and more in the ship, since safety regulations had not been followed in the previous harbor.

Gudmundur reminds us that the US was the leading country in setting the new regulations and says: “The Americans smear these laws onto the international society, and yet, they are the first to break them”.

As previously stated, this is not where my english is strongest and my complete lack of education doesn’t help.

By Odin, I hope the Greenlanders demand a thorough bomb search when the ship goes there but I doubt they have the backbone.

Just to be absolutely clear: This is not meant as a rant against the American people - this is just so damn typical of how the US has been behaving, especially here.

Why do we co-operate? The same reason that we allowed the US soldier who stabbed an Icelander go free within the US army base here, despite the army promising that he would be put in jail, and the same reason the US can do pretty much whatever they damn please here. You guys outnumber us 1000 to 1 and send a lot of tourists our way. Don’t forget, we were in the ‘Coalition of the Willing’, despite daily protests on the streets of Reykjavik and, IIRC, around 90% opposition to our ‘support’ of the war. We’re in the US’s pocket, and it drives me nuts just thinking about it.

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oops… here is the link to the Icelandic story - go nuts. :slight_smile:

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What you are feeling the effect of is the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Google that and you will learn more than you want to know.

Basically, if you want to trade internationally particularly with the US, you have to have appropriately certified ports, because ships that have been to ports that are not appropriately certified will be treated with appropriate levels of parano… errm security concern by the USCG.

It is a classic case of fortress mentality, coming with enormous human and financial cost to the whole world. Unfortunately this cost is too dissipated for anyone to be adding up and balancing off against the risk of the occasional terrorist attack.

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Thanks, Princhester - I’ll google and learn.

‘Certified Ports’ was the expression I was looking for, not ‘Licensed Harbors’.

:smack:

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…

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Jeez Uselessgit, go easy on yourself.