I know the guy is a troll but why is the superior Norwegian ruling the roost on this site all of a sudden. This used to be a much more balanced forum with interesting topics to read and comment on. You’re beating a dead horse!! No one cares how awesome you and your country are at sailing the fjords.
Ahhhhh. That feels better.
hear, hear and thank you for being the one to finally say what needed saying
And now I’ve got the “Norwegian subtitles” from Monty python and the holy grail stuck in my head the second you said Fjords. 
Are we sure it’s not just an alter ego of Jeaux Boss trolling us… or at least trolling C.C? Lol
I don’t know this asshole.
for once I stand foursquare behind you sir
It takes away a bit of your credibility as a “balanced forum with interesting topics” that this rant was posted under “Professional Mariner Forum” instead of “Scuttlebutt”…
Ohh, so this forum is ONLY for Americans, or those foreigners who thinks that “the sun shines out of the a** of any American”??
Yes, I may come across as “superior” to you, because I point out things that doesn’t fit with the idea that “superiority” is something that belongs to Americans.
Well sorry SIR!!! I don’t buy the American “superiority” thing. For that I don’t apologize.
I have worked too long with too many Americans to be taken in by such notions. I have met and worked with Americans I hold in great esteem, but those have been able to see the world in a more realistic light, not as “black and white”, with all things American being right, or “superior”.
I know that it is hard to be told that what you have been thought to believe all your life is not necessarily correct. America isn’t #1 in all things, except in military might and the #1 single economy by volume. (If European Union, or even the Euro Zone, was regarded as a single economy that would be #1 economy in the world, but with China soon to overtake both)
America hasn’t got the most “freedom”, the freest press, or the most democratic system in the world, nor is it “the best country to live in” by a long stretch of the imagination.
Freedom to own and carry guns is NOT a freedom most people in the world aspire to, but the freedom to not have to worry about being shot by some nutcase that is allowed to do so, is very much something people in the rest of the developed world value.
Likewise, the freedom to NOT have to worry about being able to pay for medical care, or the economical consequences of being disabled, laid off from work, or a whole host of other calamities, like pension funds and health insurance disappearing because they are tied to your employer remaining in business etc. etc.
Europeans may pay more in direct taxes, but they get a lot back in return, like universal health care, guaranteed old age and disability pension and free education etc.
What do you get? Corrupt politicians that spend more time squabbling between themselves than trying to better the live for the average citizen. (When they are not busy fund rising, that is)
If you actually believe that American built vessels are of superior quality. or American mariners are somehow superior to the foreign eqv, you ARE living in a dream world.
If that was the case America would still have a large fleet of ships trading the world’s oceans, with drilling rigs and OSV working worldwide all flying “stars & strips” and being manned with American crews, That is obviously NOT the case, nor is it likely to be so ever again.
As I have said many times, I have lived and worked in Asia most of my life and do not buy the notion of one race, or nationality being superior to any other. There are differences in culture and opportunities to learn, but that doesn’t make anybody less able to learn, given the opportunity to receive training, or learn from experience.
I may be Norwegian citizen, but I’m not a Norwegian nationalist, (If anything, more of a Singapore patriot)
But I am proud to point out that Norway is a leader in Marine technology and the fact that Norway, with the rest of Scandinavia, being in the forefront in caring for their citizens and residents, regardless of origin, religion, sexual orientation or social status. If that is too hard to hear, I’m sorry. (No, not for saying so. For you who cannot accept facts)
Now I can hear the cry to ban this IDIOT from OUR forum. How dear he tell us Americans ANYTHING, especially something we don’t want to hear. He isn’t American and doesn’t live in America, so he can’t possibly know anything about anything.
I can’t say I’ve seen anything close to the amount of flag waving and chest beating from any of the Americans on this forum as you have displayed in the past years. If anyone displays traits of a nationalist, it is you by all outward appearances on this forum. It is not heresy if the Americans on this forum are pissed off that they have and continue to lose jobs because of sketchy deals in the GOM that are skirting the laws put in place to protect those same U.S. jobs.
I think we’ve all just had enough of it. We get it. Norway good, U.S. Bad. If you have had respect for Americans you’ve worked with in the past how about acting like it with the rest of us who are mostly working professional mariners. You post some fairly interesting links to articles but always have to editorialize your slanted views toward your preference for the Norwegian flag and distaste for the American flag. It’s just getting old and I highly doubt that’s my unique opinion.
you are hardly not alone with this feeling
it is one thing for a citizen of a certain nation to criticize it and us Americans here do relentlessly hammer on ours but it is something entirely different for a citizen of another nation to criticize the one of the majority here. to say that such a person causes angry derision in that majority is an understatement. someone here needs to be just a bit more respectful of that majority in their posts. we’ll see if any of this sinks in to that person’s very hard and square skull? I doubt it…
until you can be more respectful of the majority here you should be banned! Lord knows the managers of this forum have done it to me enough times…
I for one call for you to get the ban hammer to teach you to cease being so derisive and inflammatory to so many participants in this forum. at present you are a toxic pollutant to the discourse here
us Americans here are far from perfect but we’ll be DAMNED if we are going to continue to hear you remind us of that fact every GODDAMNED day! NOW STOP!
Personally I would like to see more of our international brethren be regulars on this forum.
I like Fjord, they make some nice cars.
I agree with exception for what I’ve been seeing posted here recently. Being told incessantly that you are an inferior in your profession based on where you hang your hat is what I don’t agree with. And no I am not calling for a ban.
There is a way to contribute and quite a lot to be learned from all facets of this industry and its various nationalities, sans the superiority complex.
I feel a ban is a bit too much…I personally don’t take offense to ombugge’s posts, even though they are a bit biased.
I certainly don’t want you banned as I enjoy hearing the viewpoints of “the other side” of topics as I see them. Otherwise, we just have an echo chamber here. That being said, for me anyway, my problem isn’t with WHAT you say (even if I don’t always agree), it’s with HOW you say it. You do little to hide your genuine glee for the downward spiral that is the American Merchant Marine and this country as a whole.
In your rant, you reveal the possible causes of this hatred as you reference how (paraphrasing) “the US was once the best, but now is not.” What I hear you saying is “I (and my beloved Norway) spent my whole career being/being considered inferior, and now that has changed and I’m going to gloat about it”. Which is fine, but don’t expect anyone (particularly US mariners) to welcome you (a non-US mariner) to rub it in our faces. For you to act surprised is dis-ingenue at best, blatant trolling at worst.
As far as this goes, I continually find it amazing that anyone of European descent could hold this position. The combined population of France, Poland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Romania, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Yugoslavia, and Hungary was ~150 million in 1939. If they all would have had an 8mm Mauser rifle with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, it would have been a lot harder for the 14.8 million strong German army to march down the streets and line up people to go to camps. More importantly, if those country’s citizenry had been been armed, it would have never happened. THAT’S why it’s important.
I can speak to this personally. I live in the Philippines and was there in April of this year when Abu Sayef (muslim terrorist organization) landed on my home island. It was a veeerrrryyy empty feeling realizing all I had to defend myself and my family should it become necessary was a kitchen knife and a club.
Sources:
" #factsonly"
“#real-talk”
I was planning to let this play itself out without commenting, but I felt I needed to make an exception for your post.
[quote=“Hawespiper, post:15, topic:44935, full:true”]
I certainly don’t want you banned as I enjoy hearing the viewpoints of “the other side” of topics as I see them. Otherwise, we just have an echo chamber here. That being said, for me anyway, my problem isn’t with WHAT you say (even if I don’t always agree), it’s with HOW you say it. You do little to hide your genuine glee for the downward spiral that is the American Merchant Marine and this country as a whole.[/quote]
I thank you for not asking for my head on a plate, but would like to point out that I don’t feel any glee for the deterioration of the US Merchant fleet, or that of US as a whole.
What I have tried to convey is that the problem for the offshore branch of the US fleet isn’t that foreigners are stealing your jobs by introducing cheap boats and cheap labour, but that American OSV Owners and Shipyard hasn’t followed up their success of the 1950’s and 60’s, even into the 1970’s, when they invented the basis for what has become the Offshore Industry of today. They stagnated and did not see the need to modernize their vessel, rigs and their thinking.
The rest of the world did and bypassed, even leapfrogged the US Offshore industry in developing vessels and technology needed to move into deeper and deep waters in more hostile environment. Is there anything wrong in pointing out the obvious?
First of all; When I started working in the Offshore Oil & Gas Industry it was the norm that Americans were paid more then foreigners doing the same job, but I have NEVER felt inferior to anybody for that reason. (or for any other reason)
Now that has changed as you point out, but I have NO need to gloat about it. I have made my living from this industry for many years and hope I have contribute to the development in some small ways, In those years I have worked in many different capacities and with many different people, some of whom I respected highly and some I did not, but without any consideration of nationality.
I repeat, I get no satisfaction from the decline of the US Offshore industry, but I also don’t agree with the hypocrisy that prevail in some quarters, nor in the assumption that by closing out competition the situation will change.
Isn’t it an American idea that free competition is good for development of business? The same should apply to development of the Offshore business, in the GoM and everywhere.
Nuf said!!
" #alternativefacts "
Yet you do. Maybe it’s a language barrier issue but you come across as condescending and/or superior in almost every post.