Inwardness of Nationalism

     As some of you may know, the BBC's James Cook was transferred to the United States to become the Corporation's West Coast correspondent based in Los Angeles, California.

     Previously, Cook was the Beeb's Scotland correspondent, during which time he covered the referendum last year, and he - like many other journalists - was met with accusations of bias throughout the campaign. He received abuse from both sides of the debate, but especially from the notorious cybernats who questioned his journalistic integrity and accused him of being a puppet for the Union/Westminster/the Tories/Red Tories, etc.

     This continued during general election earlier this year, but Cook moved to the West Coast of America afterward to cover news for this area of the country.

     So this week, Cook was doing his job covering the tragic mass shooting in San Bernadino which has claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 21 others. Last night, he tweeted out a message about the loss of life with a link to the San Bernardino County coroner's list of the names of the deceased. What followed was this exchange between him and a man named (at least on Twitter) "Angra Mainyu".

     This is one of the worst aspects of nationalism and of what it can do to people. It makes them more parochial, inward-looking, and less conscious/aware of what goes on in the world around them in general and outside their country in particular. Everything becomes about the country without regard to anythings else (and I admit, many of my fellow Americans are sadly guilty of this as well), but of course we ought to be interested in what happens in other places because it may affect us. In the case of James Cook, it is as though Mainyu has contempt for the idea of a Scottish journalist covering a significant story half-way around the world with his question regarding how it had anything to do with "us" - presumably meaning Scots.

     When Cook responds with his reasoning for being there and doing his job (and the nature of it), he is accused of being a "errand boy" who has no say in what he covers or how he covers it - as if to say that Cook is taking his orders from London or otherwise failing to cover news events relevant to Scotland - or at least, presenting the story via a Scottish dimension.

     Perhaps Mainyu did not know about Cook's transfer out of Scotland, but even when Cook made that point clear, the troll made it known that he was "not impressed" with this as "one of the dwindling number" of people paying the license fee which funds the BBC (and therefore pays Cook's salary).  It was at this point that Cook left the man alone and moved on - presumably knowing that this exchange was going nowhere, and that he had more important things to do to, such as fulfilling his duties as a BBC journalist and responding to more relevant social media messages.

     Nevertheless in my opinion, this not only shows how this sort of activity has followed Cook, but also shows how nationalism has affected people by warping their minds in ways that are unhealthy and disappointing. Yes, this was only one person, but it is not hard to find his attitudes replicated in other settings and situations, especially in the world of social media.

     We saw a bit of this in the open with the SNP attempting to use the UK's military intervention against Daesh in Syria to foment division within the UK, claim Scotland is getting "dragged" into it against its will, and fuel their separatist obsessions. Indeed, by having all of their Commons MP's vote against the airstrikes and complaining about the use of Scottish-based RAF fighter jets in Syria, the SNP seemed more interested in making the crisis in that troubled area about Scotland and its place in the Union, rather than about answering the call for help from an old ally and friend victimized by Daesh (France) and the unanimous declaration of the UN Security Council for member states to use "all necessary measures" against the barbaric terrorist group.

     It is probably for this reason (among other things) that Kenny Farquharson of The Times has stated that "the SNP has demonstrated to the world that we Scots cannot be relied upon in an international crisis." The response from cybernats on Twitter was predictable: personal insults against him and his "anti-Scottish propaganda" newspaper - claiming that its Scottish readership is down when its actually up - and accusations of shilling for the establishment.

     Farquharson is likely used to these kinds of messages coming in his direction, as is James Cook, which is probably why he quickly extricated himself from the exchange with the time-waster Angra Mainyu, but it is nevertheless unfortunate that he goes through this in the course of his job. The callousness of this particular individual was so extraordinary that Cook had to explain that he was covering "humanity", something which knows no boundaries, and now there is a strong possibility that this shooting was an act of terrorism inspired by overseas elements.

     If that is not worth covering - wherever it may be - then I don't know what it is. However, I know that I do not wish to inhabit that tiny and narrow world occupied by Angra Mainyu and his ilk.

Being Thankful

The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth (1914), By Jennie A. Brownscombe. Image Credit: Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)

     Thanksgiving Day is not observed in the United Kingdom, but is however, a day that we Americans give thanks for good fortune in our lives, just as the English settlers in Plymouth had done after their first harvest with the assistance of the local Native American population.

     For this writer, Thanksgiving is a day reflection, prayer, and spending time with family. With the world running at an ever more dizzying pace, it is good to have holidays such as this one. Sometimes, we do need to slow down and think about our lives, what we are thankful for, and why.

     Of course, we should be thankful for our blessings every day on both side of the Pond, but I believe that Thanksgiving Day allows us to truly reflect on our lives and appreciate the good fortune we have - however big or small.

     For my part, I am thankful for being able wake up and live another day on Earth. I am thankful for being able to walk, talk, breathe, smell, and see; thankful for the blood that warmly flows through my veins, as well has for the use of my limbs.

     I am thankful for my life and good health - being free of serious ailments, diseases, and physical injuries; thankful for having a mind (and being in my right mind) to get up and be productive - to carry out my daily activities and having the opportunity to advance myself and work toward something better in life.

     I am also thankful for the clothes on my back, the roof over my head, the food that I eat, and the water that I drink. I am thankful for my job and the people with whom I work; thankful for my family and friends - near and far - who help to provide laughter and fellowship when I need it most.

     I am thankful for creating this blog and being able to give my views and opinions on the UK and events affecting it today, and I am thankful for the people who are reading it.

     With that said, here is George Washington's proclamation of our first Thanksgiving in 1789:
 

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

     I do not believe that most people can find disagreement with such profound words.

     Today, Thanksgiving is a mainstay of life in the United States, with a grand feast and football games just as important as reflection and spending time with family, and its importance has grown in part because it marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

     As was said at the beginning, the UK does not officially observe the day, but as was reported in the Telegraph and the Guardian, Thanksgiving is increasingly gaining popularity in Britain. 1 in 6 Britons now celebrating it in part because of the country's close connections to the US and Canada (which has its own Thanksgiving Day), and the influence of American culture in Britain - especially among those spend much time on both sides of the Pond and/or have dual British-American citizenship. If nothing else, it is a testament to how we take our cues from one another, as we have been doing for ages.

     So, perhaps I'll bring a turkey or two if I visit the UK around this time of the year!

     Happy Thanksgiving Day!

A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Image Credit: Zeetz Jones via Flickr CC

SOS United States (and QE2)

     Along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an enormous ship is tied up at a pier upstream from the Walt Whitman Bridge. Her two huge funnels – once brilliantly painted red, white, and blue – have faded significantly without a new coat in over four decades, and her black-and-white hull drips with rust. Her lifeboats and the davits that held them are long gone, and so are virtually all of her interiors. She still has her steam turbines, but they haven’t been used to drive her since 1969.

     She has been there for nearly 20 years, and still to this day, many people drive by her every day and do not know what she is, and for that matter, many other Americans don’t know her either.

     The ship I speak of is the SS United States, and she is now only days away from potentially being sold for scrap.

     If such a thing were to happen, it should be a national outrage and disgrace, for the United States – affectionately known as the “Big U” – is not just any ship. She was our national flagship and a source of national pride as one of the greatest passenger liners ever built.

     She was conceived following the end of World War II, when the US Government was so inspired by the troop-carrying abilities of the British luxury liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth that it decided to sponsor the construction an American merchant vessel that could also carry 15,000+ troops if ever there was a need, and with the Cold War in progress, it seemed as though this was a possibility. Under the auspices of the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the US Navy underwrote $50 million of the $78 million construction cost, with her owner, the United States Lines, kicking in the remainding $28 million. 

Queen Mary arriving in New York carrying thousands of serviceman home following the end of World War II. To this day, she retains the record for the most souls ever carried aboard a single vessel: 16,683 (including crew) on a crossing from New York to Greenock in July 1943. (Credit: Public Domain)

     The new vessel was designed by William Francis Gibbs, America’s foremost naval architect, and was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Virginia. With her second role as a troop carrier or hospital ship in mind, she was designed to Navy specifications – which included heavy compartmentalization and having two sets of engine rooms, piping, and electrical systems, as well as the ability to carry enough fuel and stores to last 10,000 nautical miles.

     Unusually for a passenger vessel at this time, the United States contained virtually no wood aboard her. Interior fittings and fixtures – including chairs, tables, beds, and other furniture – were made from metals, glass, and other fire-proof materials. Fabrics were manufactured with spun glass fiber, and even the clothes hangers were made from aluminum. This had as much to do with William Gibbs’ obsession with fireproofing as it did with the Navy specifications. He even tried to get Steinway & Sons to build a special aluminum grand piano, and was only persuaded to accept one made from a rare fire-resistant wood after the wood was doused with gas and set afire without it igniting. The only other concession was said to be the butcher’s block.

     Without the heavy use of wood and with the incorporation of aluminum for the superstructure, the United States was considerably lighter than the British Cunard White Star Queens, and was also designed to fit through the Panama Canal. Nevertheless, at 990 feet long and with a gross tonnage of 53,300 tons, she was (and is still) the largest ocean liner to have been built in America.

     She was also built for speed, and was fitted with Westinghouse steam turbines which were designed for aircraft carriers. They were largest steam turbines ever taken to sea aboard a merchant vessel, and could develop up to a whopping 240,000 shaft horsepower for her four propellers. This, combined with the relative lightness of the vessel and her hull design, allowed the United States to cross the Atlantic in just over three days on her maiden voyage in 1952 and beat the Queen Mary’s fastest time from 1938 by ten hours with an average speed of 35.59 knots. She was capable of steaming astern at 20 knots, and could go as high as 38 knots (44 MPH) in forward direction (though this was kept under the wraps of Cold War secrecy for decades). In regular passenger service, she typically sailed at around 30 knots like the Queens to make four-day crossings from New York to Southampton and back. To this day, she is still the fastest passenger liner in the world, and holds the Blue Riband for the fastest speed on a westbound voyage (and was the first American ship to do so in a century).

SS United States in her Heyday on the North Atlantic Run. (Public Domain)

     Throughout her 17 year career, she was fortunately never used for wartime service, though she was placed on standby during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Instead, she sailed the seas carrying thousands of fare-paying passengers in peacetime. Despite the lack of wood, creative designs using the fireproof material produced fabulous interiors which rivaled those of the liners which carried wood. She soon became a favorite of many on the Atlantic run, including a variety of politicians, celebrities, and other noted people. Among those on her passengers lists were President Truman, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, John Wayne, Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, and Princess Grace of Monaco – to name but only a few. She also carried a young Bill Clinton to the UK for his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.

     However, like many other vessels, the Big U fell victim to the advent of even faster and cheaper air travel, and she was abruptly withdrawn from service in November 1969 to be laid up in Norfolk, Virginia. Nine years later, the US Navy no longer considered her useful for their needs as a reserve ship, which opened the door for her to be sold. Since then and through 2009, she passed through several owners – all of them with plans to resuscitate the ship for sea travel – all of which fell though for one reason or another.

     In 2011, ownership was passed to the SS United States Conservancy, whose chairperson is Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of the designer, and whose executive director is Dan McSweeney, son of one of her captains. The conservancy has been trying to raise awareness of the ships plight and attempting to attract developers and other stakeholders, so that the liner may be refurbished and used in a stationary manner. With the interiors mostly removed to remove asbestos in the 1990’s, the United States is an open slate for virtually any development, and her hull – thanks largely to her Navy specified design and construction – is very sound for its age, despite the image given by the faded paint.

     Now however, it really does appear that the ship is reaching the end of the line. With docking fees amounting to $60,000/month and with still to no concrete way forward despite all efforts, the Conservancy has announced that if no progress is made through October 31st, it will have no other option but to sell the ship to a “responsible recycler.”

     Perhaps this is inevitable. Why, you may ask, should anyone bother themselves over a vessel that is over 50 years old and rusting away? Why should any person or entity pour vast sums of money into something that has served its usefulness and is only cared for by a few enthusiasts?

SS United States moored along the Delaware River in Philadelphia - waiting for her Future. (Credit: The Hartford Guy via Flickr cc)

     My response is that the United States, despite its age and derelict appearance, is a national treasure of the United States – much like the USS Constitution, the Wright Brothers’ plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Brooklyn Bridge,  and the Empire State Building. All of them, like the United States, were engineering marvels in their time and achievements in the realm of science and technology, and also like the United States, symbolized the ideals upon which the country was founded, including that can-do spirit and the belief that we can make great things happen when we put our minds to it.

     The Big U arguably stands out more so because she is the last and largest of her kind to be built in America, and there is little prospect of another US-built ocean liner of similar size and capabilities. Being the last of a breed that has already met the scrap heap or been wrecked, a uniquely American technological and engineering triumph, and the national flagship, it would be a sad day indeed for her to meet an ignominious end. Such a destination would likely take her to the shores of India to be broken up.

     This sight of such a great vessel bearing the name of our country being broken down bit by bit and reduced to nothing will be unbearable to watch. The thought alone should cause all Americans and our government to take notice, and the Conservancy has been working hard at this 11th hour to get the news out about ship and its meaning to our country and our heritage. The Big U has been repeatedly featured in news programs and talk shows on radio and television in the last three weeks, and special articles in print have been making her case known to the wider public, with mentions of the impending scrap sale and making appeals for donations. There has also been a call for developers to help come up with a real and sustainable plan for her, along with possible help from government agencies. So far, nothing as publicly emerged, and it really looks like the end.

     For now however, at least we still have the Big U in the United States. The United Kingdom however, has already lost its one time flagship, the QE2.

     RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched on the River Clyde by HM the Queen in 1967, and sailed on her maiden voyage in 1969 – the same year the United States was withdrawn from service. Indeed, she was Cunard’s last-ditch gamble to save it from extinction in the face of the popularity of air travel. Unlike the Big U however, the QE2 sailed the seas for nearly 40 years and was a favorite among many a passenger and ocean liner enthusiast.

     As a revolutionary dual transatlantic ocean liner in the summer and cruise ship in the winter, the great Cunarder  was able to make money throughout the year, and she enjoyed an illustrious career in which she carried over 2.5 million passengers – from the well-known (including royalty, presidents, prime ministers, diplomats, and celebrities) to people of modest means who would only make one passage aboard QE2 in their lifetime. All were treated to unparalleled and sophisticated luxury aboard a ship that carried the legacy of the great Atlantic liners that had come before her, and she developed a solid reputation for reliability and comfort – setting a standard against which other ships were compared.

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 on her last visit to the Clyde in 2008. (Credit: Dave Souza via Wikimedia Commons cc)

     Along the way, she made 806 transatlantic crossings and sailed 6 million miles. This included the period during which she served her country in the Falkland’s War as a troop transport (just as her predecessors had done in the previous world wars). In addition, she was the longest-serving liner in Cunard’s history, as well as its longest-serving flagship. On top of that, the QE2 was the fastest operating passenger vessel until her retirement.

     That retirement came when the QE2 was sold to Dubai World for $100 million and sailed there in November 2008, where she was supposed to be converted into a floating hotel like the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. However, at the time when QE2 was purchased in 2007, the property boom was at its height, and by the time of her arrival over a year later, the global economy was on a downward trend, and this seriously affected the QE2’s prospects in Dubai. Since then, no conversion work has been done on her, and all long-term plans for use of the ship have fallen through.

     Up until two years ago, she was very visible and well-kept at a berth in Dubai with her engines and internal power systems still running as if ready to head back out to sea again. In 2009, she was drydocked and her hull was cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint, which raised prospects of sunny days ahead. However, the engines have been since turned off, and without them, the ship has been left to bake in the desert sun of the Middle East – with mold and mildew now making themselves present. Worse, she has been placed into a rather nondescript area with tankers and cargo ships, and the latest photos show her looking derelict and forlorn – as if she is being deliberately left to rot. Other photos, including those with workers roasting pigs near the swimming pools, have only confirmed the languishing state in which the former flagship of the British merchant fleet finds herself.

     Rob Lightbody, the founder The QE2 Story – a website dedicated to preserving the memory of the great vessel and to raising awareness to save it – told The Scotsman: “Nothing has happened to it in the last two and a half years. There’s no power. There’s no air. She’s filthy.”

2009 Photo of the Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai   (Indigodelta via Wikimedia Commons CC)

     Dubai meanwhile have been frustratingly silent on the fate of this much-beloved ship. Having promised to be faithful stewards of the QE2 from the outset – with an ambitious plan for her going forward – they have all but signaled that they are no longer interested in what was once supposed to be the crown jewel of their Palm Jumeriah development. This lack of interest is only ripe for them to want to be rid of what has now become a liability, and by any means if necessary, which obviously means the scrapyard.

     As with the United States, the Queen Elizabeth 2 has a community of people who want to save it. In her case, they would like to see her returned to Britain and preserved for future generations. Thankfully, she has not been laid up nearly as long as the Big U and still retains much of her interior and fittings, so the potential cost of refurbishment should be lower than that required for the United States.

     Nevertheless, that’s always going to be the sticking point: cost. Renovation and conversion costs for the United States range from $50 million to $200 million, and then there’s another $2 million for poentially moving her to a new location, such as her original home port of New York City. Throw in the annual costs of maintenance, docking fees, and wages and salaries, and you realize why taking in a 63 year old ship is not an enticing prospect for anyone who wishes to make a return on investment, especially in a relatively short period of time. The costs for the QE2 may not be as high with regard to a renovation, but they will definitely be there with regard to getting her back to the UK, and meeting the burdens of annual maintenance, docking fees, etc., which may perhaps make it difficult to just break even.

     In this sense, the odds are pretty stacked against these two great ocean liners. Throw in the struggles that the Queen Mary has endured in Long Beach (some of it arguably self-inflicted by the city) through a succession of several operators with different ideas for an even older vessel, and you can see why even those in the ocean liner community are skeptical of efforts to save the Big U and QE2, and are prepared to bow to the “inevitable.”

Stern of the Queen Mary in Long Beach. (Sergey Yarmolyuk via Wikimedia Commons cc)

     However, ask this: what does it say about us when are unable or unwilling to lift a finger to save critical elements of our national heritage in the US and the UK? What does it say about a society that turns their backs on something that has represented that best of their country, and is a critical part of national identity and purpose? What does it say about a people who cannot see that something so unique and special is going to be lost forever? What does it say about us that we just don’t seem to care?

     The United States and the Queen Elizabeth 2 can be saved if we really want them to be saved. They can be rehabilitated for new and appropriate uses if we really want it to be so, and much more could be done by public and private interests, again, if people demanded it to be so. The problem is that there is not an outcry – either from Maine to Hawaii, for Shetland to Cornwall – for the government and/or those with deep pockets to do something helpful and constructive with regard to these liners for the benefit of the nation and future generations of Americans, Britons, and the world at large.

     Some people will say that as unfortunate as it may be, it is probably time to let them go and be scrapped. After all they say – with justification – that we cannot expect to save all the ocean liners that have ever been built, and the brute reality is that when a ship reaches the end of its intended use of sailing on the high seas, its only realistic destination is the scrap yard. As the last captain of the Queen Mary said upon the great liner departing New York for the last time in 1967: “Ships, like [human beings], have a time limit, and they day must come when we go.”

     However and again, I must stress that the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the United States are different, and ought to be exceptions to the rule. They represented the best of their respective countries to the world with a standard of luxury, comfort, style, and class that made them stand out amongst their contemporaries.  Above all that, they are well and truly the last of their kind, and indeed, the last of an era. In addition, being the last great liners built in Britain and America is, in my estimation, the main feature that makes them special and worth saving, and given their profiles, it would an enormous blow to national prestige and honor to watch them be ignominiously scrapped.

     With particular regard to the Big U, I have to believe that if she was meant to be scrapped, she would have been scrapped long ago when the Navy no longer had use for her in 1978. She was not broken up, and has made it this far, so that I was fortunate to see her about eight years ago while visiting Philly with my father, and I have to say that she appeared to have much potential – with a lot of space that could be put to good use and ensure her survival. It is almost as though we have been given chance after chance to save her and keep her going and now, it just seems that she has come too far to only now face the torch.

     As for the QE2, I saw her when my father and I visited New York in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Each time, she was an awesome sight to behold – with her iconic funnel in the traditional Cunard red and black, her long and elegant black hull with a white superstructure, her clipper-shaped bow, and well-rounded stern. Overall, her profile was graceful and neatly-balanced – a great dollop of credit to her design team and the people who built her in Clydebank.  She looked so splendid – and even regal – like the Queen that she was, and still is. Underneath the grime, rust, and mildew is the QE2 that we all knew and loved.

My father and I at the New York City Passenger Ship Terminal with the QE2 in 2001. (Wesley Hutchins)

     Both she and the Big U need to be saved, not just for their individual attributes, but also for their importance in the rich seafaring traditions of Britain and America, which ought to be celebrated and cherished, especially in Britain because of it being an island nation dependent on overseas trade throughout the world. With their loss, I cannot help but to believe that we will have lost a bit of ourselves and be condemned for allowing it to happen.

     For the United States, there needs to be cooperation between the US Government, private entities, individuals, and the governing institutions and agencies of the areas that are willing to berth the ship – whether it be in Philadelphia or New York. Going further, she can be a great national project for the US in terms of breathing new life into her, for again, her interiors are largely gone and the empty spaces are open to creativity, while also respecting her overall dignity. While serving as something useful, she can be a symbol of American ingenuity and what America was able to do at one time, as well as a symbol of what we can do going forward with that same sort of ingenuity.

     Time is running out for the Big U, and there is the real possibility that she will be scrapped, which will be nothing less than a tragedy. The most important thing to is speak out and letting relevant authorities know that the ship is paramount to who we are as a country, and therefore worthy of being spared.

     Rehabilitating her not be easy, and will require the cooperation and good faith of many people and organizations. But with help from all stakeholders and the wider public, something can be made from this desperate situation. Just it is desired to have the Queen Elizabeth 2 returned home to a more happy and glorious future, hopefully it will be morning again for the United States.