In 1967, the US aircraft carrier, the Franklin D Roosevelt visited Cape Town. The apartheid government refused to allow crew members ashore, not because they were taking a stand against American imperialism or shows of force, but because some of the sailors were black and it just wouldn’t be done for them to mingle with impressionable white South Africans.
This week sees another US carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, moored a few kilometres off Cape Town. This time it’s nuclear powered and has enough weaponry on board to level the city. Reactions to the carrier’s arrival have been mixed. Brian Ingpen, shipping correspondent for the Independent Group, is happy to have the ship here because it will boost the local economy (enough with the local economy!), but seems unconcerned with the problems associated with forging military ties with the US. He writes that:
A smoother passage for permit applications for nuclear-powered ships to call is also essential, considering the Western Cape’s familiarity with nuclear power, the US Navy’s fine record with its nuclear-powered ships, as well as the positive economic and military spin-offs for South Africa of these visits.
It seems a bit of a stretch to say that we should allow easier access to nuclear ships because there is a nuclear power station on our doorstep.
Earthlife Africa are not as keen as Mr Ingpen to welcome “the Big Stick”, as the ship is known, to our shores. You could read about their objections on their web site if they had one.
Anyway, the point of this post is not to debate the ethics of weapons of mass destruction down the road from my house but to show some pretty pictures. I took the camera down to the breakwater yesterday to take some photos of the carrier. It was a bit hazy so they’re not that clear. Click for bigger versions.
