Thursday 18 January 2024

Superdooper?

Aditya Chakrabortty contrasts the very different responses to plutocrat's superyachts with the 'small boats' bringing 'illegal' immigrants to the UK (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/18/tories-stop-the-boats-superyachts-plutocrats-britain). Chakrabortty regards the superyachts as 'gigantic floating tax havens, operating in International waters'. Superyachts measure 30 metres or more and are often equipped with swimming pools, helicopter landing pads and imax cinemas. Some even sport enormous shower heads, that spray the unwashed with champagne. Superyachts also dump toxic waste at sea and burn through enormous quantities of diesel fuel. In fact, the annual 'greenhouse gas' emissions from superyachts, exceeds that of their owner's use of private jets. CHakrabortty points out that, at the start of the 21st Century, the planet had fewer than 2000 superyachts. By 2020, there were more than 5000. Some oligarchs collect numerous superyachts. It appears odd these ostentatious expressions of hyperwealth, are not condemned for their planet-damaging potential!

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