Talking Politics Aboard Ship

When I first started sailing there was no satellite TV. We did get news; the radio operator would print a news and sports sheet usually one or two pages long with the news of the day. One copy went to the officer mess, another to the crew mess.

News drama was when some inconsiderate ass took the sheets out of the mess. When that happened no one could read the news that day. Bad day for the fool if the crew figured out who it was! Yet no one discussed the news. That wasn’t polite.

The never ending argument was why the RO didn’t print more copies. That was countered by the argument that the idiot should know not to take the news sheets out of the mess. That argument/ counter argument would burn for months.

I miss the old days.

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We used to get safety bonuses , both captains agreed to combine the money and get a decent satellite tracking device and boxes in every room. Although we watched many news shows and movies, “The Price Is Right” was the most entertaining at lunch.

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I don’t know many other work places where you spend your “off the clock” hours (if you want to even call them that) still kind of on the clock and still at work. I don’t think it’s somewhere you should air your dirty laundry or go out of your way to argue, but on the ships I’ve been on after 120 days with mostly the same people it’s almost unavoidable.

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The 24 hour TV news cycle makes people crazy. The talking heads and video clips are designed to sell products on behalf of advertisers by pandering to their targeted audiences with repetitious sound bites introduced as BREAKING NEWS!

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It seems that all threads on all forums these days devolve into political discussion often to the detriment of the forum - whether it is for mariners, pilots or DIYers. I do my best not to join in but sometimes it’s just too tempting.

However the adage not to discuss politics and religion on board is (in my option) a good one and something that I enforce religiously on board. The problem on a ship is that you can’t escape the discussion in the mess room, and additionally there’s almost always a power difference involved.

I spend about 8 of my 12 months as a cadet with a particularly noxious CE who would continuously pontificate at the dinner table and in the bar (where the cadet was assigned the barman position) about what was wrong with the world in general and in particular with anyone graduated from a maritime school in the last 10 years or so (note this guy was in his early forties). I hated the mans’ guts but couldn’t do anything about - or even pipe up against it - since he had to sign off my task book (I’m a dual licence guy, as was the norm in NL in that era).

More recently (working as a master) I’ve had people almost come to blows on the bridge over the civil war in Ukraine, tensions were understandable as people were dying on both sides at home but you really can’t take it on board with you - and anyone who mentions the conflict where I can hear it can go pack their bags and join the fight on their preferred side back home (I understand just enough Russian to pick that up!)

Another one was a Malaysian safety officer who assigned himself the role of Imam of the ship’s long time Indonesian crew (of whom some had pretty liberal interpretations of their nominal religion). The bosun informed me that if this new fellow doesn’t pull his head in he might have an accident with an angry fitter and a 55mm spanner…

So yeah, don’t discuss that stuff on board, even with people who you think would agree with your views. Especially not with people who are dependent on you for their future career as they may feel brave enough to tell you how they really feel.

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Forgot about this thread:

I know a guy or two…who was very similar. You can’t escape the galley talk. Have seen signs at more than a few good places “Eat and get the hell out”

What ships have satellite TV now?

Had satellite tv on the large tugs for decades. Early on , we (The crew) paid for it ourselves. After I retired heard the last outfit I worked for picked up the tab.

Before I retired most ships I worked on had satellite TV. Due to the make up of the crew the TV in the galley was tuned to Fox News. After some ruckus, Fox News was banned first under much protest on some of the ships, all other news channels were eventually banned in public areas. “The Price is RIght” became popular again. I personally thought, considering the crew, it would be better if only educational programs were allowed. The Smithsonian and Science Channels were my suggestions.

Alex Trebeck was a hit as well. May he RIP

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Currently I work research & most times the professors & students are “make their own clothes, grow their own organic with their own homemade fertilizers” types. Many of the American officers are on the polar opposite of the political spectrum of the researchers. But we all like our jobs, crew & researchers alike & everyone knows what happens if we cause problems by talking politics. Funding comes from both Republican & Democrat lawmakers & higher ups in the research hierarchy knows to play their cards close to their chest. Political polar opposites can work together if they have half a brain & want to keep their jobs. But don’t fuck up anywhere else concerning your work because political polar opposites will stab you in the back if they are just slightly that type of people.

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There’s plenty of TV onboard.
I concur generally with the avoidance of polarizing subjects being discusses onboard. There’s nothing to gain by feeding a belief system in close quarters.

One good thing that is likely to come out from all this mess: I predict that the insurrectionists, as a condition of parole or probation, will be required to complete courses in American Civics. They will also be required to give talks on the same.

I don’t see how this second part of your comment has anything to do with, “Talking Politics Aboard Ship”. Sounds more like talking politics on gcaptain forum?

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[quote=“Sand_Pebble, post:18, topic:58042, full:true”]

You don’t think people, even mariners, might learn something from repentant insurrectionists?

Most ships I’ve been on only allowed the mess room TV to be on the Safety Channel, showing HSE stuff, rig business, crew photos, etc. During meal times that lead to actual conversation. I found that preferable.

Having Direct TV meant you could watch whatever news or non-news you wanted in the comfort of your own cabin.

In Canada you count on the lounge TV almost always playing hockey, which could lead to political-worthy disagreements, but much more good natured.

No. Too many people, mariners included, have arrested development & are too biased to change their paradigms on how they see reality. BTW, which insurrections are you referring too? The ones who overran police stations, those who participated in months long siege on federal lands, those who participated in months long sieges on federal courthouses, those who vandalized & destroyed countless federally protected landmarks & buildings, those who caused 3/4 of a billion dollars in damages in Minneapolis, the ones who created their own autonomous zones where they said was separate from the US government or the ones who assaulted the US Capital in Washington on Jan 6th? Me personally, I really don’t want to hear anything from any of them. The skills they lack should have been learned before adulthood & them watching some PowerPoint presentation & being forced to give public apologies they don’t mean wouldn’t help anyone except for a select conceited few.

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You’re probably right.

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Well said Sand Pebble. A well educated Asian-American female relative of mine was cheering the riots and such this summer. I told her this is not the way to get a positive result for a decent cause. Her sister chimed in with “Burn Baby Burn”. Am curious their reaction would be opposite when these assholes rioted in the Capitol. They didn’t realize they and their neighbors could have been victims as well, instead cheering the media coverage from imagined safety of their homes. We don’t communicate like we used to since all this crap started… They have never experienced violence as I have, and I don’t wish that upon them. Perhaps a different age, but seen really stupid things over my lifetime. I try to temper my time to the last few minutes of world news, there is usually a good deed or item to view, but not always.

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I think many families can relate to that these days.

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