Rockall pirated

[Celestialsailor]

"abducted her elderly husband" ...Nice way to describe him girly. Fresh out of college are we?...

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by iancoombe

This is the second time only this time Sabrine was murdered, we had a few days with them sharing meals and stories so its a shock for us. RIP Sabrine. And we hope Jurgen is ok.

Islamist militants kill German sailor and abduct elderly husband in southern Philippines | The Independent

Cruisers naturally feel sad when one of their number dies, and this was a particularly nasty way to go, poor woman. Of course you are saddened and shocked. But, is there anything you can do to improve things?

Really, when cultures are stressed and in flux, they can be dangerous. Personally, I think you who are there, should think about leaving. There are many beautiful places to explore. [So many islands, so little time! ] Leaving en masse would send a message about spending your funds elsewhere. Whether the government would care about the message is another question. I am suggesting that your assumption of safety there is just that, a fantasy that has yet to be tested, and that electing to be elsewhere may be in all your best interests.

Ann

[UNCIVILIZED]

Obviously it saddens me to hear of people losing their lives thusly. And it outrages me as well. So my heart goes out to those caught in the midst of such things.

That said: Contrary to what is (or isn't) expressed in this forum, the news definitely doesn't cover every & all incidents of criminal behavior. Neither at home nor abroad.

Who here read much about the gangs that stayed behind in areas of Florida during the recent mandatory evacuations? Doing so so that they could loot freely, in the presense of few to zero residents, or law enforcement? Such did occur, but it certainly recieved little enough press.

So then should residents be forced to leave their homes any time, & anywhere, other parties declare that it's unsafe to live there for whatever reason? Who gets to decide what that reason is? What if, like in Detroit, it becomes too expensive to provide emergency services to a particular area? Should it then become okay to forceably remove good citizens from their homes & relocate them? And based on who's judgement is it okay to do this?

What if your business is located in that area? And or if closing it for the prescribed period causes it, & you, to go bankrupt? So then you really have to move; perhaps to a less expensive, & worse neighborhood. How's that strike your fancy?

And is it then: a Police matter, one for the National Guard, or does Posse Comitatus get suspended? What if it's your neighborhood?
Slippery slope ain't it... Be it in the Phillipines or here in the US. As the above scenarios aren't just ones which happen overseas. Just ask those who used to freely roam North America a few centuries ago. Or certain islands a generation or two ago.

Sensorship is alive & well! With little to nothing being reported about people fending off bad guys personally. Such stories are grossly unpopular with & in the media! A (sadly) growing trend. So then knowing where to go, & where not to does become problematic.

Consider how news stories on problems regarding political instability, or the safety of visitors (& locals) affects tourism, & thus the money from same flowing into a country, or region. As well as the reverse (sic). This is definitely an incentive to minimize stories in the press about such things, which might (WILL) affect tourism.
Those in charge know this, & therefore minimize the telling of such events.

[JPA Cate]

Many years ago, the Mexican Navy was training helmsmen in their destroyer escort. Two days in a row, the trainee lost control, and a number of cruising boats were damaged. The main source of help to the yachties was the local tourism bureau, who helped them negotiate solutions to their problems.

The yachties who turned loose of their indignation, and just fixed their boats, and moved on did the best imho. One boat -- it put an end to their cruising, but honestly, they were not that suited to cruising, either, so perhaps it was just the final straw for that couple.

For the cruisers in the Philippines, I think the government has other fish to fry than being concerned about cruising yachties. By far the simplest way to avoid violence is to be elsewhere.

Where society is breaking down in the US, is, uh, a very big question, and far too political for this forum. But, yes, people can choose to stay and defend their property, and to what will that lead, eh? DO NOT ANSWER THIS QUESTION ON THIS FORUM, just think about it.

Just bear in mind, there are places where the use of deadly force is illegal in defense of property. They think the US is pretty uncivilized, and its people's fascination with guns, ludicrous to criminal to crazy. It is definitely a cultural difference.

Ann

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by aclmck

So what do you propose we all carry guns,missiles,grenades, etc,etc (...)

We can simply elect NOT to 'cruise' in areas that are known to be problematic.

We can also refuse to participate in CF threads styled 'what is the best place to cruise and why it is Columbia/Philippines/(add your own)'.

Guns and grenades are fine but they run against the grain of going somewhere and spending your retirement there, carelessly.

b.

[SailingFan]

These are all valid and reasonable concepts of discussion, and a large part of why I keep coming back to these forums. I wish more people would speak their hearts on these topics!

I have to say that I agree with the idea that folks have to consider where they are and that if the local area cultures and customs don't agree to their liking, move on to another locale immediately (or as soon as the tide turns, as applicable and needed). The problem is that people often do not realize just how bad things are because as stated by Uncivilized, the media generally does not care to cover these things fairly and even then, if they do cover them, the media attempts to sensationalize everything to sell advertising, so we cannot trust the media.

That leaves us with the people who are there to give us anecdotal information retrieved while they are present, or with rumors that they can pass to us if they got the information as scuttlebutt. It is unfortunate that we cannot trust the media to be honest.

Regardless, this thread ties nicely with the one about the Phillipines president getting all upset and getting chummy with China, because this thread is case in point argument for the position I took in that thread.

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by zeehag

cruisers need to be aware of political changes occurring on our planet.
as the political situations change, so do cruising areas.
phillipines once was a usa territory.possession. aint no more. china is new associate.
accordingly, politics are different now than earlier.
duterte swears to rid planet of his terror groups, specifically the ones affiliated with this incident.
unfortunately those under way have no real source of news. things change while we cruise.

r i p

... And things are changing fast in the Philippines - hopefully for the better, in some ways. See my latest posts on "the other thread" for more, and thanks for all your helpful posts in the past.