ship of state

[southwest]

Hi,

I'm in the southwest, Australia.  There's an intriguing tradition from ancient Greece where the population or state is compared with a ship. The poet Alcaeus wrote about it in sixth century BC then others such as Plato took it up. Then Cicero in Rome. 

Anyway, it arrived in Ottawa. https://www.ourcommons.ca/About/HistoryArtsArchitecture/collection_profiles/CP_ship_of_state-e.htm

So I'm hoping for readers' comments on what this means. Does the idea have general support? Do people use the words 'ship of state' in party policy or in parliament?  Do you think of a ship when you see images of parliament? All contributions are gratefully received. 

[suds]

Technically I suppose we do have a captain, but there's nobody at the helm. We are in a state of confusion. I have never heard of the term but it's an interesting idea. Thank you.

[CdnFox]

2 hours ago, southwest said:

Hi,

I'm in the southwest, Australia.  There's an intriguing tradition from ancient Greece where the population or state is compared with a ship. The poet Alcaeus wrote about it in sixth century BC then others such as Plato took it up. Then Cicero in Rome. 

Anyway, it arrived in Ottawa. https://www.ourcommons.ca/About/HistoryArtsArchitecture/collection_profiles/CP_ship_of_state-e.htm

So I'm hoping for readers' comments on what this means. Does the idea have general support? Do people use the words 'ship of state' in party policy or in parliament?  Do you think of a ship when you see images of parliament? All contributions are gratefully received. 

The term has been used, i wouldn't call it common use.  There is a 'state of the nation" or 'state of the union' address that happens in Canada and the us and that term may get used slightly more.  But i've certainly heard the term ship of state used in the past.

Of course - there's only so many times you want to hear your country be compared to the titanic before you tune it out

 

[Dougie93]

3 hours ago, southwest said:

Hi,

I'm in the southwest, Australia.  There's an intriguing tradition from ancient Greece where the population or state is compared with a ship. The poet Alcaeus wrote about it in sixth century BC then others such as Plato took it up. Then Cicero in Rome. 

Anyway, it arrived in Ottawa. https://www.ourcommons.ca/About/HistoryArtsArchitecture/collection_profiles/CP_ship_of_state-e.htm

So I'm hoping for readers' comments on what this means. Does the idea have general support? Do people use the words 'ship of state' in party policy or in parliament?  Do you think of a ship when you see images of parliament? All contributions are gratefully received. 

in Plato's Republic, the ship of state was a ship of fools

due to the incapacity of the Captain, the ignorant crew of the ship fought amongst themselves for control

as a result, ship of state was adrift

[southwest]

Very good, as I suspected the term is government PR rather than popular usage. But newspaper cartoonists have fun drawing it and the fools. So the Romans no doubt had similar responses to the term.

It's a long story but the Greek-Persian texts on it reached SE Asia where it does have community backing.

https://www.change.org/p/senate-of-the-philippines-declaring-the-balangay-as-our-country-s-national-boat

 '.the head of the barangay is a "barangay captain", the only head of a government unit in the world named after a captain of a boat.'