Paging the U.S. Navy - Again

CDR Salamander: Someone abandons Danes to pirates

We are enabling pirates. The nation that fought the Barbary Wars has a 10 SEP 01 attitude towards pirates. Because the do not “regularly kill” their hostages (often you will hear “do not kill” - which is true of Western Hostages) we will allow them to have a fair run at any ship they can reach? What? Is that really it? Is that were the US Navy and the International Community stands? The Somalia gov’munt cannot police their waters - I will say that again - cannot. We will not. Therefore you have de-facto pirate territory that they are using as a safe base to hold hostages for ransom. What happens when you do that? ECON101 tells you the value of all ships to pirates is greater - and the risk premium is minimal.

We are appeasing the pirates. Yes, I know the “we can do non-compliant boardings - someone might be killed” argument. OK then, never deploy a SWAT team against kidnappers until they kill someone. Next time someone takes a hostage, give them a helicopter and let them escape to Mexico. Just make sure they get their money as well.

Whatever we do, never ever use the military against anyone unless they kill someone first. No, never. Actually, that isn’t a bad idea in most cases - but piracy is in a category all its own.

No safe havens and no tolerance. None. By appeasing pirates you only beget more pirates and lawlessness at sea. Call it the “Broken Portholes” theory of the high seas.

Comments

  1. rachel wrote:

    So the old run-for-the-border works at sea, too? Yo-ho-ho. ☠

    Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 9:59 am

  2. canuckistani wrote:

    The solution is to send ninjas against them, thus settling the age-old question plaguing the nerds of the internet - “pirates or ninjas?”.

    Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 10:02 am

  3. Alon Levy wrote:

    And people say the US isn’t doing anything to combat global warming.

    Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 11:08 am

  4. commissar wrote:

    Canuckistani,

    Don’t you guys have some ‘naval Mounties’ or something we can call on here?

    Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 11:30 am

  5. canuckistani wrote:

    Don’t you guys have some ‘naval Mounties’ or something we can call on here?

    We did, but all their polar bears drowned in global warming, and now they have to figure out how to attch the saddles and pennants to squid.

    Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 11:37 am

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