Josh Democracy poll toll - Josh 369
Apr 20, 2016 Josh ;)
Here is a delightful story:
After Internet users overwhelmingly voted to christen Britain’s new $300 million research ship “Boaty McBoatface” in an online naming poll, a government official suggested the name wouldn’t be used.
“There is a process now for us to review all of the public’s choices,” Science Minister Jo Johnson told the BBC Monday, per Newsweek. “Many of them were imaginative, some were more suitable than others.”
BBC host Nicky Campbell exclaimed that the government would “ride roughshod over democracy” if it did not go through with naming the ship “Boaty McBoatface,” which garnered 120,000 votes — four times that of the next closest choice.
More at the BBC, Graun, Mirror and, well, everywhere.
Cartoons by Josh and thanks to my friend Sue who came up with the Jo's new title.
Reader Comments (103)
Raddy McRodentface, Flags of Convenience have great benefit for the business affairs of the owner, plus they place the ship outside all sorts of other International Regulations, including those intended to protect the Health, Safety, Working conditions etc ad infinitum of the crew.
The Term 'Flag of Convenience' is used to indicate disgust/disdain by many seafarers. A bit like 'climate science'. The idea of climate scientists sailing on a ship under a 'Flag of Convenience', conjures up images of disaster of an unprecedented Titanic scale, except the Titanic has happened once already.
GC: flags of convenience are not used to circumvent international laws, but the national laws of where the shipping company is based. Some FOCs, like Liberia and Panama, are doing some work to improve their reputations.
Radical Rodent, some international ports and harbours are under pressure from their countries, countrymen and the International Maritime Organisation (part of the UN) to exclude certain ships from certain Inconveniently Flagged Countries!
Some unscrupulous owners even abandon their ships and crews in foreign ports (even in the UK) with no money, or food, when creditors catch up, and have the ships impounded.
Countries such as Panama and Liberia have no means of imposing or enforcing any regulations on ship owners (even if they had any good intentions) and have reputations for being easily persuaded, by phone calls from friendly financiers.