By Via Japan Probe comes this video interview of Sea Shepherd leader Paul Watson who has no fear about the Japanese arrest warrant launched against him:
What I found most interesting about this video is why does the Canadian Paul Watson have a Confederate Flag flying in his office? Is he trying to make the point that he is a rebel? If so it is in very bad taste to fly a flag that many people associate with racist slavery in order to make a point about yourself. I’m surprised the Japanese media hasn’t picked up on this yet?
12:01 pm on May 11th, 2010 1
What an idiot.
12:26 pm on May 11th, 2010 2
Oh here we go with the confederate flag.
It is NOT the confederate flag. It is a "battle flag" for the confederacy.
Look it up! Not the same thing.
Considering this is about he and the Japanese, you MIGHT ask why there is a Japanese flag with a skull in the center behind him. Looks like a rising sun to me.
I would have thought you to be better informed and above this type of "baiting". Seems I was wrong.
As to the question of why it is there. It is obvious isn't it? To bait people such as yourself and get some free face time.
Good race baiting there GI KOREA. Good Job!
Canadian with a confederate battle flag—funny. He probably doesn't know what it is — either.
12:38 pm on May 11th, 2010 3
Check out the (2003) flag for the state of Georgia. Compare it to the flag for the Confederate States of America. The first one. Too funny really. I had fun with that little bit of information in 2003.
Keep feeding it GI KOREA. Keep feeding it and it will grow.
3:52 pm on May 11th, 2010 4
It's not clear whether it is the Confederate flag or the Confederate battle flag, but either don't have a strongly racist connotation in Canada. Canadians who own that flag are very likely to spend summer afternoons sitting with friends on their porch while drinking beer and listening to CCR and The Eagles at high volumes.
3:56 pm on May 11th, 2010 5
Oh, and the Steve Miller Band. The song "Space Cowboy" is like an icepick to my eardrums.
4:00 pm on May 11th, 2010 6
I haven't noticed any black crew members on "Whale Wars", hmmm….
7:40 pm on May 11th, 2010 7
The flag means different things to different people. Despite what the ‘official’ definition of it may be in a reference book, it has taken on an undeniable connotation.
Just as the Japanese Rising Sun Flag does.
7:54 pm on May 11th, 2010 8
yep. Lets just run with the “popular” view. To hell with the truth. It has always been easier to hate what you’re told to hate than look for the truth. You might become unpopular, or be called names. Good going JOEC. You fell right into step.
8:38 pm on May 11th, 2010 9
First, Let me say that I hope that whaling will end by negotiations of the countries of the International Whaling Commission. I think it’s clear that Paul Watson fancies himself as a rebel not only because of the Confederate battle flag but also the Sea Shepard flag is obviously a takeoff of the Jolly Roger pirate flag. The vessels under his command cut in front of the Japanese whaling ships so that he can cause a collision to show on ‘Whale Wars’. His people throw a weak type of acid to make the Japanese crewmen nauseous & unable to function. They try to destroy property, i.e. use ropes to try to destroy the propellers on the whaling vessels. He does these things outside the law & now he is a wanted fugitive in Japan. In other words he and his group are terrorist. But he flies the Confederate battle flag so I guess he is not all bad. I don’t think race has anything to do with him using the Confederate battle flag.
10:56 pm on May 11th, 2010 10
…I meant, “The Joker”.
11:48 pm on May 11th, 2010 11
Speaking of Korea, "The Joker" by The Steve Miller Band was often played in the Rock & Roll bars where I often used to hang out when I was stationed in Korea in '79-'80. You could have certainly called me a midnight toker. One real cool thing that happened when I was in Korea was that one day my friend Larry & I went to the Rainbow Club in Itaewon during the daytime. Pink Floyds "The Wall" album had just came out and the DJ in the club played the whole album for us which they normally didn't do. That DJ was pretty cool. Every time I went to the Rainbow Club (which was quite often) as soon as I stepped in the door he would play Foghat "Slow Rider". Ah the memories.
11:52 pm on May 11th, 2010 12
It is clear that it is a "Battle Flag" rather than the flag of the Confederacy IF you did your research. Guess you missed the white back ground on the second "Nation Flag". It is the only one that is even close. The First Flag of the Confederacy looks much like the American Flag. Stars are in a circle of 13.
Don't listen to the Steve Miller Band much. I'm more of a Pink Floyd guy. I like some of Mel Carter's stuff as well. 50's 60's 70's Rock. Add a Jim Beam and coke, some slim females for "back ground" and I'm a happy Vet. (Voodoo club in AC PI, during the AM hours when I'm in country.)
11:59 pm on May 11th, 2010 13
Maybe black crew are not allowed on "Whale Wars", hmmm…..
Check that out for us GI KOREA! We wants ta know.
12:02 am on May 12th, 2010 14
Yes! Foghat's "Slow Ride".
1:48 am on May 12th, 2010 15
If someone is committing a crime by killing endangered species under the ludicrous guise of "scientific research", in what is considered to be a sanctuary, in an area where commercial activities are not allowed…….is it a crime to try to stop them? Do any of Japan's laws even apply when you're in international waters in Antartica? Does Japan have the right to ram ships and shoot LRAD's at people or take citizens of other countries hostage? I think Japan's criminal activities far outweigh those of Sea Shepherd. I'm pretty sure that the whales would consider Sea Shepherd to be the heroes and the whalers to be the terrorists.
Maybe if other governments of this world would step up and take action, Sea Shepherd would not need to be doing what they're doing. I applaud them for fighting for what they believe in and for being the only organization that takes action. I'm sure not going to shed any tears because a whaler became nauseous or a harpoon ship was damaged!!!
5:58 am on May 12th, 2010 16
If this is what people are "afraid" of, life must be pretty good..
2:18 pm on May 12th, 2010 17
I thought the only difference between the two was the shape.
Yeah, I also like Pink Floyd. They've always been extremely popular in Canada, particularly amongst French Canadians.
Nowadays I'm teaching myself to play some Albert King, so I listen to that quite a bit. Freddy King is next–not that I have any illusion of ever being able to play as well as those two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5dpp2iCRwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=GGLmZCZ1sXY&f…
2:20 pm on May 12th, 2010 18
Whoops…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGLmZCZ1sXY
2:40 pm on May 12th, 2010 19
Retired GI,
Pink Floyd, Jim Beam & Coke, slim females… and a couple of quality firearms…
Hmmm…
I’m in.
10:38 pm on May 12th, 2010 20
BYOB = bring your own bullets
10:00 am on May 18th, 2010 21
WW is the best comedy show currently on tv. It's like a sequel to Gilligans Island.
Watsons Pile
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from an Aussie port
Aboard this blackened ship.
The mate was a no sort of sailing man,
The skipper full of manure.
40 odd vegans set sail that day
For a three month tour, a three month tour.
The going started getting rough,
Their tiny boats got tossed,
If not for the presence of pure dumb luck
The Irwin would be lost, the Irwin would be lost.
The ship sent hippies to toss glass bottles upon the Japanese
With Peter B.
The Skipper too,
A flunked out Navy girl with no life,
The movie folks
The pilot and engineer,
Here on Watsons Pile
So this is the tale of the hippie crew,
All covered in their grime,
They'll have to make the best of things,
As they commit their crime.
The first mate and the Skipper too,
Will do their very best;
To make the sure others take the risk,
In their floating vegan nest.
No meat, no showers and lots of risk,
Not a single luxury,
except for all that pot they smoke,
It’s as primitive as can be.
So join us here each week my friends,
You're sure to get a smile,
From the antics of these Stooges,
Here on "Watsons Pile."
12:29 pm on June 11th, 2010 22
If you see video on the bridge, next to the port side door there are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd National Flags of the confederacy. I can't figure any good reason that they would have them…it's quite random.
Retired GI, it's actually 7 stars on the original 1st Flag and 3 bars.
1:10 pm on June 11th, 2010 23
Retired GI, are you really attempting to say that the flag of confederate armies is not a symbol of the confederacy and racism? Are you saying that the "battle flag of the confederacy" is not a symbol of the confederacy? You pretend to be an American patriot, however, you justify flying the flag of an army that slaughtered tens of thousands of American soldiers and put the American soldiers who they captured into starvation camps (look it up).
2:56 pm on June 20th, 2010 24
Rei, I believe it was General Sherman who said "War is hell" as he was burning the homes of millions of Southerners…and racism is everywhere. To point the finger at a certain region in a certain time is just stupid. Anyone who fights for their country and for what they believe in is a patriot, I don't care what the "popular" belief is.
3:38 pm on June 20th, 2010 25
#23 Rei: The armies of both sides were Americans.
12:01 am on June 21st, 2010 26
#23 Rei, thanks. I looked it up — yet AGAIN. Just for you.
Toward the end the south was not able to feed it's own army, let alone the thousands of union troops. The Northern Blockade coupled with Sherman splitting the South in two, played havoc on anyone living in the south, be they civilian, slave or prisoner.
In this context, it is strange that the INHUMANE TREATMENT OF *SOUTHERN POWs* BY THERE NOTHERN CAPTORS. The Union was a vertual Breadbasket, but *the Southern POWs* never saw it. So much for being for human rights.
See also: http://www.civilwarhome.com/prisonertreatment
http://www.scv674.org/sh-10.hlm
Rei: your BLIND racism and hate of a people that you so obviously know nothing of is truely a statement of the ability of the leadership to lead the ignorant masses to believe and follow the popular narrative. Also used well in Germany by the Nazi party to promote hate of the jews. You are in fine company.
8:21 am on June 21st, 2010 27
Other reading: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967.html
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/country/stlouis/blackcs.h...
11:48 am on June 21st, 2010 28
More reading for Rei.
http://www.scvcamp469-nbf.com
http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvhs1404.himl
http://www.37thtexas.org/html/blkhist.html
12:00 pm on June 21st, 2010 29
The last post didn't show. I'll try again.
More reading for Rei. http://www.scvcamp469-nbf.com
12:55 pm on June 21st, 2010 30
Anyway. Back to the topic at hand, Paul Watson is a fat asshole. He's playing the eco-loons. Authorities are not even sure he's a duly licensed master (captain). He's a terrorist and a pirate and should hang from the yardarm until he becomes swollen and putrid. He should then be thrown in the sea with no ceremony of dignity.
Either that or say "sorry" and quit screwing around.
6:17 pm on July 30th, 2010 31
Why do dumb sum bitches always say the rebel flag stands for slavery…it's been prolly 100 years since the last person in the US who had anything to do with slavery died
it doesn't matter WHAT the flag orginally stood for only racists see it racially..it's been known as the rebel flag for quite a decades now. I have seen blacks wearing the flag or flying it because they are rebels
most symbols meant 1 thing long ago but might not anymore
3:45 am on October 6th, 2010 32
i am a proud Veggan and it keeps me fit and healthy"`;
3:20 pm on June 28th, 2011 33
Thanks for posting this. I thought I noticed the flag in an episode and became somewhat alarmed. Contrary to what Retired GI has said in America this flag has some very deep ties to racism. While I do not know what his intentions are specifically his arguments have been used for years to try and condone the flag and the values it promotes. Why anyone would want to fly the flag or any battle flag so iconically tied to pro-slavery views is beyond me. Recent polls have found that not only is there an incredible surge in racism among confederate flag brandishers and their supporters, it has been shown the majority of them incorrectly believe slavery was not the leading cause for the civil war. A recent psychological study also revealed that merely displaying the flag in a place readily visible to white children will cause them to form more negative opinions of black people.
It reminds me of those who proudly display nazi propaganda and insist they can somehow pick and choose which attributes it represents. Anyone who would waste their time trying to defend such hate isn’t worth debating, but it is important to stand up in support of doing what’s right when the issue comes up. This flag is a representation of a pro-slavery stance that senselessly ended many many lives. That is what the flag represents and stands for, anyone you know who supports such bigotry should be challenged. It is a horrible and cruel reminder that causes a lot of hurt and anguish. Shame on those who rally to its defense. Thankfully the generations that believed in such horrible racism are coming to an end as further more educated generations have been able to move forward and racism is becoming less of an issue. We’ve had many hurdles like this gentleman with outdated views to overcome, but overcome our species will. Stand up to their ignorance and make it known wwe will tolerate this hate no longer. Much like ReitredGI they will fight back loudly, ignorantly and will attempt to ridicule you. Don’t be surprised. Views like his are the reason so many people had to die in order to ensure freedom for all.
6:15 pm on June 28th, 2011 34
JimmyStewart,
You make good points.
Symbols are important when they represent a history of violence and repression.
I’m curious if there is any equality in the standards set in the judgement of these symbols.
Are such icons as the Nazi swastika and the Confederate flag graded by the same criteria as, say, a notorious instrument of extreme torture with a history of representing offensive warfare, overbearing oppression, and unimaginable cruelty?
Or is history written by the victors who insure the Christian cross is not placed in the same category?
9:18 am on July 30th, 2011 35
Check out Seashepherdslie.com!! Paul watson is a pure idiot. I don’t understand why the Japanese fisherman don’t fire on those hippies with a few AK-47′s… I f’ing can’t stand watching those hippies acting so aggressive and then turning around when the fisherman defend themselves saying “look at how reckless and dangerous they are!”
P.S. Pachouli oil stinks!!!
5:08 am on December 10th, 2011 36
Joan Baez Divides by Zero