The article "The ferry anonymous" by Gil Canha addresses the issue of ferry connections between Madeira and mainland Portugal. According to the author, the companies Fred Olsen and Trasmediterránea were contacted, and they responded positively to the possibility of making a detour to the island. However, these companies indicated that there were difficulties in the negotiations, both with the Portuguese government and with the Regional Government of Madeira, which protected the only regional shipowner (referred to as the Sousa group). The companies also added that for the operation to be financially viable, it would be necessary to include commercial cargo and roll-on/roll-off transport of goods.
The article contrasts this situation with historical examples of anonymous people who changed the course of world history. Irena Sendler, a Warsaw nurse who smuggled approximately 2,500 Jewish children out of the ghetto during World War II, and Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet officer who in 1983 identified a false nuclear alarm and prevented nuclear retaliation, are mentioned.
Other examples include Wang Weilin, known as "Tank Man," who placed himself in front of tanks in Beijing the day after the Tiananmen Square massacre, and Nicholas Winton, a young London stockbroker who organized the transport and reception of 669 mostly Jewish children in Czechoslovakia before World War II.
The article strongly criticizes "the ferry anonymous," suggesting that this person or entity blocks ferry solutions for Madeira, the only European island without a ferry connection to the mainland, enriching themselves at the expense of others and leaving large bills for services. The author concludes that there are "anonymous and anonymous," valuing those who contribute positively to democracy and society.
