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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Arrrgh! There Be Pirates Here!

Today's news regarding the latest pirate activity:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,456427,00.html

Experts, political leaders and department heads talk about "imposing sanctions:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45frDJ2H7Lc&feature=channel

Ship owners of the Saudi tanker are "in negotiation" with the pirates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExdtySOfRRA&NR=1

At least one country's navy knows how to deal with pirates:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081119/ts_afp/somaliapiracyshipping_081119125508

When the story of this recent pirate activity broke, a number of my on-line friends asked the following questions:

How do you impose "sanctions" against what can be euphemistically be called NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations)?

When did we need a "mandate" to deal with pirates?

In the past, such "mandates" weren't needed because pirates were viewed as scourge to all mankind.

Here's a short explanation for the 280-year lull in pirate activity:

"Piracy’s Golden Age ended by the 1720s, when pirates were outmatched by European military forces in the Caribbean...Piracy in general declined throughout the late 18th century and early 19th century with the development of the steam engine and the growth of the British and American navies. However, piracy never dissappeared completely..."

(From the History Channel's Website, "True Pirates of the Carribean: History of Piracy").

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