How to Negotiate With Pirates

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And if the captain and his crew were allowed to arm themselves this situation probably never would have occurred.

 

I say all power to the pirates for shaking up the status quo on the high seas.

 

In this case, the Status Quo was "not being hijacked"





That's not SUCH a bad thing

 

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Call me what you will, but I still think Somali pirates should be owed some degree of credit for stopping, or at least trying to stop, illegal fishing and the illegal dumping of nuclear waste, which is what I meant by status quo.
I don't necessarily agree with the hijackings, and the 50 million dollar ransoms, but if forced to decide between a band of pirates which hijacks boats for cash and a band of soldiers which hijacks an entire country (aka the United States Army in Iraq) for oil, I know where I stand.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinio...-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html

"The story of the 2009 war on piracy was best summarised by another pirate, who lived and died in the fourth century BC. He was captured and brought to Alexander the Great, who demanded to know "what he meant by keeping possession of the sea." The pirate smiled, and responded: "What you mean by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you, who do it with a great fleet, are called emperor." Once again, our great imperial fleets sail – but who is the robber?" - Johann Hari

 

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Don't run the person down so much. Just ask questions about the opinion.

I see a few things I wonder about.

How do you come to the thought this piracy is about illegal fishing? And this would be the first time I have heard about any dumping of nuclear waist. Where did that idea come from?

If it were a political statement about fishing or dumping I would think the ransoms would be to stop such actions and not money.
Actions that involve violence against the people that are clearly not doing either deseve no 'degree of credit' at all and I condemn them as simple acts of criminals.

posting links to support your views would go a long way to my understanding your thought process.

 

What's with all these pirates? They seem to be in the news everyday for a year now.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinio...-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html
I already posted this one in my earlier post. Did you not see it?

Otherwise, here are some other articles I found:
http://www.mbali.info/doc331.htm
http://www.twf.org/News/Y2009/0411-Pirates.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/22/piracy-somalia
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/19/cobb.somalia.piracy/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/world/africa/01pirates.html?_r=2&ref=world&oref=slogin

From the New York Times: "The piracy industry started about 10 to 15 years ago, Somali officials said, as a response to illegal fishing. Somalia’s central government imploded in 1991, casting the country into chaos. With no patrols along the shoreline, Somalia’s tuna-rich waters were soon plundered by commercial fishing fleets from around the world. Somali fishermen armed themselves and turned into vigilantes by confronting illegal fishing boats and demanding that they pay a tax."

To clarify my point even further: I think the problem with somali piracy is that what started out as a way for impoverished fishermen to maintain their livelihoods soon attracted a large group of people who got into it simply for the sake of the money. These people I do not support, but I am willing to defend those who do it because their only other option is to fish toxic and/or depleted waters as a result of foreign nuclear waste dumping and illegal trawling.

 

Good response and a nice clarification - thank you
Good links, I'll read them more thoroughly later today.

I may just agree that what started out as protectionism, has attracted the scum pirates of today.

 

I took the time to read. A good selection and some eye opening revelations. Thanks.
The would be 'coast guard' fishermen are unfortunately being overshadowed by the scum.

I could and would support their efforts ( the noble effort ones) if the money went to improving their country instead of supporting the gun runners.
Difficult I know, but I think they would garner more support if they could some how get that message out.

 

These pirates are highjacking boats full of emergency food aid. Yeah, that's really cool.

 

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Why do we hate Pirates?

 

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How are marines, or any military personnel any different? Some pirate are in it for the money, some are in it because they have no choice and have a family to support.

EVERY US / UK / any non-crippled nation soldier or naval soldier is in his job solely for the money. And possibly for the bonus of getting to "kill some darkies". :|

Dead soldiers? Tough shit baby.

 

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It was the best phrase I could think of at the time. Iraqis / Afghan's / wherever else oil is may have been a better phrase in hindsight.

Don't accept what they tell you, they're in the military because they get to kill people for money. Then they speel a load of crap about patriotism and freedom to balance out their own conscience.

Some terrorists kill for their beliefs, our soldiers do it for money. Who's the more evil?

 

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