Uncle Sam’s appetite for conflict continues

Uncle Sam, our self-appointed global guardian, was late joining World War II but once up and running seems to have developed a taste for conflict.

What to do with a large war machine in peacetime is a political challenge that remains without answers more than 70 years on.

In order to establish like minded governments in central and south America Uncle Sam became expert at destabilising and subverting until he had governments in place to his liking amongst his neighbours.

This process continues, today, with various ‘‘adventures’’ in the Middle East, to show for it, none too successful so far.

Having led the way in bringing about regime change and flying in the face of democracy, in some cases, how ironic then that Sam the Man is now upset that others seem to be trying to do the same to his country.

It was inevitable that, having learnt how to play the game from the master, others would try their hand at some stage.

Always keen to personalise Uncle Sam has named Vladimir Putin as the cause of his problems – a modern day Vlad the Impaler if we are to believe the rhetoric. The real reasons could lie closer to home and some introspection might be useful.

By all accounts Vlad seems to have been responsible for a very successful 2018 Football World Cup despite meddling in the political processes of another sovereign nation. It makes you wonder? Catching up with Southland Times news I noted a juxtaposition screaming for consummation. Two topics, two headlines, one obvious question: Why not set the Sensing Murder psychics loose on the whereabouts of Flight MH370?

Okay, make it two questions then, the above and ‘‘What happened?’’

I think we’ll be in for a long wait . . . Lloyd Esler’s claims about what he calls Southland’s ‘‘worst journey’’ (About the South, August 2) fail close scrutiny. Here’s why:

He doesn’t say who placed the journey at the apex of such a highly subjective category; he doesn’t identify the two men involved and he doesn’t say when the supposed incident actually occurred.

Furthermore, Esler quotes extensively from an unidentified source, hardly the best look in this day and age of Wikipedia and the urban myth. It so happens his anonymous heroes have tangible competition.

I cite Pat Christiansen’s book, Hey-Day to MayDay, a history of Bluff-based fishing boat wrecks 1960-1985, (Bluff History Group 2009):

‘‘On Sept 21, 1963, the Star of the Sea’s engine broke down in heavy seas and the boat turned upside down near Long Point, (viz on the southern coast between Puysegur Point and Tuatapere).

‘‘Two crew members tried to get ashore through raging seas. Crewman Tony van der Byl was drowned and the skipper, Cornelius de Ryk, trekked 30 miles (48km) to safety.

‘‘He (de Ryk) arrived at a workman’s hut near an isolated sawmill some miles around the coast from Tuatapere . . .

He had walked the whole distance from the scene of the wreck without boots, having stripped them off in the sea, and clad only in a singlet and underpants.

‘‘He spent the night at Port Craig where he found an old overcoat and a welcome tin of Milo.

‘‘The weather was terrible with rain, hail and cold winds.

He had two oranges and two apples which he had managed to pick up on the beach from the wreck, plus six plastic bags, which he used to cover himself from the extreme cold.

‘‘Few could have survived three such hellish days.’’

I trust this credible information helps to clarify what has become – inadvertently, we can be sure – a disputed element of the historic record.