French Yacht - 4 Crew Seized by Somali Pirates

[DeepFrz]

fullafrisky, hey right on man!

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by fullafrisky

I am still a hard working, blue blooded, American tax payer

Only peasants work hard and pay taxes. Regardless, there's no such thing as a blue blooded American.

[DeepFrz]

The captain of a US container ship taken hostage by Somali pirates has been released, the US Navy has said.

[H Romberg]

Another job well done by the Navy. Way to go Squids! Now if we can just get them released to do it immediately whenever the pirates strike we'll stop having this problem.

[BlueSovereign]

Yeah right! I wonder what it cost in ransom $$$ (not that the Govt's or Navy's ego would ever tell us the truth)

[Jesse]

I just read on the BBC news that Capt Phillips jumped from the lifeboat and the pirates aboard were killed before they could recapture him. The other pirate who was negotiating his ransom is in custody of the USN. Jesse

[Jesse]

According to the BBC the owner of the yacht and two pirates were killed in the action taken to free the hostages. The remaining three including the child are on their way to France. I'm saddened to hear the owner was lost but glad the others are free. Jesse

[BlueSovereign]

I just read on-line the NY YTimes (I'm in NZ).

Glad to see the Navy found their testicles and killed the damn MFs!

However, the pirates have now stated if they ever take an American hostage again, they will take their revenge.

[H Romberg]

I think they've got it backwards about who will be taking revenge for future hostages.

[BlueSovereign]

I for one, hope you are correct.

Until the USA and every other country adopt France's position: i.e. "we will not allow our citizens to be held as hostages", every yachtie in that part of the world becomes "fair game" and a potential "pawn"!

[fullafrisky]

With all the pirating and such, it seems there is a bright spot.

Somali Economic Stimulus Package! Boat Sales Soar as Money Pours In | BoatTEST.com

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

But don't fool yourself - the reason that piracy has increased so much in the past few years is pure greed. They're looking to make millions to buy huge mansions, lots of cars and lots of bling - that's why they demand huge ransoms instead of taking whatever loot is on board and leaving.

The powerful take from the weak. Often simply because they can, rather than need to. Same here, same USA, same Somalia. Always has been and always will be.

In this part of the world we have laws to do that and tend to count power with money - and it can therefore be a surprise when "our" definition of "power" is not the same as others. and that our "Juju" doesn't always work outside our world........with people from an environment where life and death (yours / theirs) has a different value as "normal" for purely pragmatic reasons.

How much thought do you put into killing a bug?

Ain't no right or wrong involved - just pragmatism.

[BlueSovereign]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

The powerful take from the weak. Often simply because they can, rather than need to. Same here, same USA, same Somalia. Always has been and always will be...with people from an environment where life and death (yours / theirs) has a different value as "normal" for purely pragmatic reasons...How much thought do you put into killing a bug?...Ain't no right or wrong involved - just pragmatism.

May I suggest you go hug a tree, go join some impotent protest march, or get a job at the impotent UN General Assembly! As I see it your opinion equates to what might be called "intellectual masturbation" (the UN excels at that)!

Firstly, there is NO such thing as "normal", not even among the world's psychiatrists!

What do you do when a bug tries to bite you, invades your home, or attacks your food? You exterminate it, along with the colony it came from!

The next time there is an attack, use satellite imagery to track the offenders back to the mothership, and blow that bastard out of the water with F16s!

Yes its cause is land-based polititical instability, and driven by the desire to acquire money. However if you can't exterminate the land based home colony, exterminate its water based ones!

[Southern Star]

Blue Sovereign, in your attempts to insult and malign David Old Jersey, rather than respond calmly and rationally, you have likely missed his point: that in many parts of the world, 'power' is not de jure, but is exercized by brute force. You can disagree that the powerful ( in our case, read rich) often take from the weak (poor), but the history of the world has confirmed this from ancient times through the feudal system, through slavery, through robber barrons, etc.

If you live in a country where it is difficult to feed, let alone educate and provide health care for your young; a country where no legitimate chance of getting ahead exists and life (particularly your own) is indeed cheap, then the decision to engage in acts of piracy (or theft, or robbery) is frequently a pragmatic one.

The answer then is to either eliminate the root causes (which seems unlikely to occur in this society), or to make piracy unprofitable. You know, cut off the hands of those who steal bread. Hang pickpockets (where interestingly, the highest number of incidents of pickpocketing occurred). Attack their homes and children. And based upon your contributions, it would seem that you too see this as a pragmatic, rather than a moral decision.

Brad

[TaoJones]

Very well put, Brad. Clearly, member BS - excuse me, Blue Stocking (oops, I mean Blue Sovereign) - hasn't been here long enough to get to know DOJ, one of CF's real treasures, I think.

And, DOJ, how are you going to explain to other card-carrying National Socialists that you've been called a "tree hugger" who engages in "intellectual masturbation?" Oh, the scandal!

TaoJones