Comments on: The Category

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:09:52 +0000

Shoot first, and ask questions later.

We don't need to extend Bush policies.

How about "think about what needs to be done, have a coherent strategy, and use force without hesitation when the situation calls for it".

By: cas

cas — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:34:17 +0000

My first inclination is to agree with both charles austin and John425: Shoot first, and ask questions later. EXCEPT that I know that CNN is more likely to trace those poor suffering pirates back to their poor suffering families in their poor suffering [completely dysfunctional] country, explaining how they HAD no choice but to revert to piracy in order to feed their 10 kids (and three wives), etc, etc, etc. The REAL problem with the "Shoot First" policy is that it tends to waste hostages fairly quickly, because you won't be able to prevent ALL acts of piracy (at first) Which will we run out of first: - the supply of merchant sailors who are willing to sail those routes? - the supply of poor idiots in that part of the world who have nothing to lose and everything to gain when hijacking an supertanker or freighter?

By: Brett

Brett — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:39:27 +0000

The Washington Post had an interesting article on how Blackwater is looking to get into the "escort" business and so forth in the Gulf there. Perhaps you could grant them one of the Letters of Marque that Phil brought up. That power is there, after all.

I still think the easiest way would be to identify the main coastal areas where the pirates like to chill, then go sit some warships off the coast and board/sink anything suspicious. Rinse and repeat over and over again, if necessary - if you can make piracy unprofitable, then the Somalis who do it will look for something else to do.

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:07:07 +0000

I don't know if they are "terrorists" and I am not sure if making the distinction is even important. Piracy needs to be stamped out, and sinking them seems like a good way to do it.

By: John425

John425 — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:53:01 +0000

Don't prosecute! Sink 'em, sail off and see if they can swim.

By: Phil Smith

Phil Smith — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:06:22 +0000

I've been thinking that letters of marque and reprisal might be an interesting avenue to explore.

By: charles austin

charles austin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:37:38 +0000

Hang first, ask questions later. Broadcast it on CNN.

Sometimes it is hard to believe how soft the modern world has become and how it expects to survive in the face of hard threats with ever cushier pillows as the primary response.

By: Bystander

Bystander — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:43:14 +0000

I think pirates would be ideal candidates for waterboarding.

By: Triumph

Triumph — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:29:55 +0000

Please don't share Burgess' equation of piracy with terrorism to the RIAA--they will send anyone who burned a copy of their U2 cds to Gitmo.