Canada restrics booze at sea

[Rodney Mills]

Canada restricts booze at sea, and ups prices in port.

BBC. today

Dec 12, 11:53 PM (ET)



OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Booze will not be as cheap or flow as freely aboard Canadian warships after the review of an incident last summer in which a coastal defense vessel was ordered home from a U.S. exercise because of its sailors' bad behavior.

The report, released Friday by the fleet's top commander, Commodore Craig Baines, recommends that the navy develop a strictly enforced code of conduct in addition to increasing the shipboard price of alcohol and banning any consumption while ships are at sea, unless there are special events. The restrictions were imposed immediately.

Last July, HMCS Whitehorse cut short its deployment and returned to its home port in Esquimalt, British Columbia, after some crew members were accused of sexual misconduct, shoplifting and drunkenness. Three incidents are in various stages of being dealt with through the military justice system, including a planned court martial of the sailor accused of sexual assault.

Vice Admiral Mark Norman agreed with the recommendations, saying the actions of sailors, at home and abroad, reflect on the navy and the nation as a whole. Unlike their U.S. counterparts who serve on completely dry ships, off-duty Canadian sailors have been free to purchase beer or wine, including from soda machine-style dispensers.

Those are being removed as part of the reforms, which Norman acknowledged might not be popular, but necessary.

"I have no doubt there will be some folks who see this as negative, but I have great confidence based on broad consultations through all ranks of the navy that this will be seen as a positive, measured and progressive step," he said.

The alternative, Norman said, was to go the U.S. route and ban booze entirely.


Not to sure if I should say cheers.

Rodney

[vic mcclymont]

Yes the US ships are dry, but full of druggies.

[j.sabourn]

Just out of interest does anyone know when the custom of carrying chinese laundreymen (civilians) on British naval capital ships ceased. JS

[j.sabourn]

In todays papers 5 pages along from the crossword is a story that the US congress has passed a bill for US 584 billion dollars for defence this fiscal year to help combat the threats posed by elements in the Middle east. Where does all this money come from the printing presses must never stop. Another article re the loss of flight MH 370. The area of the flight coming down as compiled from computers etc is 200,000 sq kms, up to now roughly 60,000 sq kms of the primary area has been searched yet not one piece of wreckage has been found. The whole area will be completed by May. It must seem to many to cast doubts on the estimation of the downing of this aircraft may be seriously miscalculated, at least as one of the general public that is my gut feeling. JS

[Keith Tindell]

John ref 3, I canot tell you when that custom ceased, but my father was on the China Station, as it was known before the outbreak of war, and told of severe flooding at one time, and a young chinese lad was rescued from floating debri. They were unable to find out much about him, but he was adopted by the ship, and named Able Seaman flood,worked in the laundry and was a mascot on the ship. When my dads ship left to return to uk, the lad was transferred to another ship. Obviously totally different in those days. My dad was 2 years on the China station, which was the norm. I see RN ships coming into Portsmouth now, bands playing, bunting flying, reports on local TV etc, and they have been away 6 months !!! KT

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, War ships? on the booze at sea? I dont fancy that not with the nuclear weapons on board today? Ashore only should be the rule for all Navy ships except on sunday rum ration for all hands.

[Hugh]

Just out of interest does anyone know when the custom of carrying chinese laundreymen (civilians) on British naval capital ships ceased. JS

It is my understanding, John, that it has not ceased.

Regarding booze at sea - I left in 86, three small cans per man per day. Can't say I ever saw it really abused. Every man aboard a ship has a job to do and the Joss was always lurking for those who fell out of line.
After the recent murder on the nuclear submarine however, I wonder what kind of a Navy we have today? I would imagine I probably wouldn't recognise it.
Regards
Hugh

[j.sabourn]

I think the tot of rum a day would of been stopped before you came out of the RN Hugh is that correct. Pussers rum I think they called it. I know on the Clansman the PO's made their own bar out of one of the spare cabins but was only beer as far as I can remember. Was quite a privilege to be invited into. There were about 5 PO's and most of the saturation divers were leading rates. Then you always had various visitors from other navies. Always had at least one surgeon on board as well as the Diving officer, usually a lieutenant or Lt/Comdr. Never saw any mention of a daily tot, if did was only in someones memory banks. Cheers JS

[Rodney Mills]

J.S. in W.A., Re. your post on the U.S. defense budget.

Remember, the U.S. is roughly the same size as the E.U.. The E.U. Population is perhaps equal to the U.S. (360 million). Combine all the budgets, and tax revenues from all countries within the E.U. and compare them to the U.S.A. Granted if you then compare categories and expenditures you will notice a large discrepancy in various items; I.E. the U.S. defense is higher, primarily because it has mutual defense treaties with [too] many countries. On the other hand U.S. social benefits are lower. A few examples, one must contribute for ten years into the system before collecting social security benefits, and for unemployment benefits, one must work four out of the last five quarters to collect and it is for a limited time. There are no government hand outs for immigrants, legal or illegal and restrictions apply for all other benefits. Bludgers and the penniless need not apply.

President Obama will sign a one TRILLIAN, one hundred million dollar budget to fund the government until next September. The defense number you quoted is part of this budget and I agree it is a lot, but a large part is because of mutual defense treaties with other countries. We, the Americans, could do a lot with that money, like spend it right here.

For Republican party political reasons, the budgetary amount for The Department of Homeland Security is only through February 27, rather than September 29 like the rest of the budget. The Homeland Security Department consists of the border police, customs, immigration, FBI etc., so add another bunch of millions to pay for the additional six months of operations.

On top of this, each state collects taxes (income) and spends (expenditure) partially for protection, education, and state roads etc., add a half a trillion or so there. Then there are city taxes, local police, education etc..

I do believe the actual revenue amount, federal and the states (excluding personal property taxes, sales taxes, etc.) are three trillion plus dollars. The budgetary numbers for the full year exceeds the budget, thus the U.S., like most countries, runs a deficit.

Given my druthers, we should close our bases down overseas, withdraw our fleets, and revoke all mutual defense treaties. Countries can't defend themselves, too bad. Amass missile bases around the U.S., fence our borders, Complete President Reagan's "Star Wars Initiative" and developed and install protective space weapons and it's goodbye to any country harboring anybody who is responsible for an act of terror against the U.S.. No foreign aid for any country, earthquakes, floods, tough. No one sends us money or help. Immigration and work permits only available to top doctors, scientists, engineers, etc. (none for actors or rock singers, etc.). Only graduates with "straight A grades (magna cum laude)....The best and the brightest need only apply, we're closed to the riff raff yearning to be free, you guys can have them. Well that will do for a start, We'll have oodles of money left over.

Ok John, disregard the last paragraph, I'm just having fun, being creative, and trying to wind you up a bit. I can't put a smiley face here, as (a) it would give the game away, and (b) I don't know how to get the bleddy thing anywhere else, but at the top of the page. So consider a smiley face HERE.

Cheers, Rodney

[j.sabourn]

Rodney, there is plenty of policies that the US has that I admire. The obvious one is the patriotism that the average American has for his/her country. They do more good than bad, the same as the UK and Europe and most of the western world do make the wrong decisions at times according to us the knowledgeable ones of the world Ha. The bad one about the CIA s tactics about interrogation makes good newsprint, and am sure most countries in the world practice the same techniques. It is hard to drum up condemnation for such when one sees on ones television screens the beheadings of innocent aid workers in the Middle East and the average citizen will say good for the CIA at least they are paying back in kind to some extent. Not being in the realms of high finance I was always under the impression that a country had to more or less have the gold reserves to print money. Fort Knox must be looking bare by this time, so is the printing of money now not dependent on gold reserves, and is this what one now call a depression. I doubt whether the uk has any reserves as such, but may be wrong as still can afford to give a lot of money away. Money to us is only paper printed on saying they promise to pay the bearer of, in this case why cant these countries who claim they are broke print some of their own. We may finish up yet where money is immaterial and everything is done on the bartering system, and Rothschild or whoever introduced money will see his prodigy disappear into the realms of time. Cheers JS