Monday, November 07, 2016


An incorrect sailing ship?

The appearance of a Chilean naval vessel in Sydney Harbour, which had been used as a “torture chamber” by the Pinochet regime, has sparked protests from Chilean-Australians who say it should be removed from service.

The Esmeralda, a four-masted tall ship that is nearly 400ft long, is in Sydney as part of its 61st training cruise and has been docked at Garden Island since Thursday morning.

Considered a national symbol of Chile, it is used as a sail training vessel by the country’s navy and spends about half the year sailing around the world.

But its tours have sparked controversy after a series of human rights reports revealed that the ship was used to detain victims of the Augusto Pinochet’s regime in September 1973.

A 1986 US Senate report suggesting that as many as 112 people – including 40 women – were held on the ship, with rape, electric shocks, mock executions and beatings among the crimes reportedly carried out on board.

The Chile Solidarity Committee, a Sydney-based organisation of about 50 people, intends to protest against the vessel’s appearance on Saturday.

“Regardless of what the present purpose of the ship is, crimes were committed there,” he said. “People got killed there".

SOURCE

That Pinochet was just giving Communists some of their own back is not mentioned.   Pinochet deposed a law-defying Marxist President at the express and desperate invitation of the Chilean parliament. Allende had just burnt the electoral rolls so it wasn't hard to see what was coming. That he used far-Leftist methods to suppress far-Leftist violence is reasonable if not ideal. The Leftist view that they should have a monopoly of violence and that others should follow the law is a total absurdity which shows only that their hate overcomes their reason

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

So typical of the leftist, hand wringers to blame an inanimate object for the evil men do.

Spurwing Plover the fighting shorebird said...

Better then having one of those Greenpeace garbage scows wheezing into port with its usial crew pf troublemakers and confermed eco-pests blocking coal freighters and oil tankers

Anonymous said...

The ship itself did none of those things, it was the people on the ship who performed the actions in question. It is inappropriate to blame objects for the actions of people.

Stan B said...

I don't even know how to respond to the "regardless of the present use" argument. I doubt anyone could find one square city block of space anywhere other than Antarctica where SOMEBODY has not committed SOME "atrocity" against someone else - and to use that space for anything at all is an affront to all who suffered that "atrocity."

The "logic" is just - well as Spock would say "That is not logical thinking."

Lord Cheeto said...

The Esmeralda is just s symbol, just like the German Swastika or the Confederate Battle Flag or a hangman's noose or a "Let's Make America Great Again" cap - reminders of the vile things that humans do.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:45 Thank you for exposing yourself as the true fool you are. The Union Jack, the American flag, The French tricolor. Slavery occurred under these and many more. Your brand of stupidity is a direct descendant of Nazi book burning. Congrats on your liberal "tolerance."

Lord Cheeto said...

7:22,

Really? Is that all you got? You are pathetic when it comes to insults. Typical Trump Deplorable.

Anonymous said...

Cheeto,

These right wing loonytoons are fun to play with. They say the silliest things. Quite entertaining.

ЯΞ√ΩLUT↑☼N said...

Most here (apart from those that venemously side with Hitlery's corruption) agree that the ship is just an inanimate object and, so do I. It may be a reminder of things past however, I bet none of those protesting had anything to do with it at the time and never sailed on it, ever.

Let's see if they scuttle their own accommodation upon learning an atrocity occurred there or, burn the next boat/car that was rumoured to have been part of a rape etc.

Anonymous said...

Aw, libs stroking each other again. There're so cute when they think they've had cogent thought.

Grouse said...

Anon 3:06 liberals like to hug trees instead of their kids and sit around all day watching the piant dry or the grass grow IN THE WINTER