Somali pirates awesome

[Walsingham]

I'm not sure I blame them for trying but if you think this is a Robin Hood scenario then you're mental. You think they're moving millions by themselves? They have to have some serious backing to move their money, and I suspect syndicates in the mideast are giving them tipoffs on sailing times as well as profiteering on market instabilities.

 

Nor do I approve of folks who are assaulting mariners and occasionally killing them.

I have almost complete certainty that the pirates have killed less mariners over their entire existence than the United States has killed civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past month. The pirates are the plucky underdog defending their people.

 

Here come the mafia! Quick everyone! Throw flowers!

[Pidesco]

These Somali pirates were actually fishermen scraping by in the buttcrack of the world, who found their livelihood compromised by industrial fishing boats using Somalia's undefended coastal waters as a free fishing ride. I'd say this isn't a case of a Robin Hood scenario, but rather a case of free enterprise where a bunch of people with everything against them went out and made business for themselves with whatever meagre resources they had available. It's the romantic American dream, Horn of Africa style. Amazing what can be done with a lot of faith, hardwork, and total disdain for bureaucracy.

Also, the western industrialists dumped a ****load of polluted crap into their waters. They're really engaging in completely justified retaliation on the corporations which have ruined their country's shores.

 

 

They're not engaging in justified anything. Revenge or morality doesn't enter into it. They are just out to make a living in the best way they can.

[Gfted1]

Ah, I love you guys. If someone is down and out then its perfectly justifiable to threaten and steal from others. *nods sagely*

[Purkake]

Ah, I love you guys. If someone is down and out then its perfectly justifiable to threaten and steal from others. *nods sagely*

Yeah, this thread certainly took an interesting turn.

[I want teh kotor 3]

Ah, I love you guys. If someone is down and out then its perfectly justifiable to threaten and steal from others. *nods sagely*

Yeah, this thread certainly took an interesting turn.

 

Yeah, the Commie came in.

[Purkake]

Communism isn't inherently bad/evil/icky, it's just another ideology.

 

The interesting turn came from the pirate apologists.

Edited December 3, 2009 by Purkake

[lord of flies]

Ah, I love you guys. If someone is down and out then its perfectly justifiable to threaten and steal from others. *nods sagely*

my beloved international megacorporations... forced to pay ransoms...

 

i know that many dumped nuclear waste on Somalia's shores, leaving many dead...

 

but that's just capitalism. what the somalian pirates are doing is just WRONG...

[Purkake]

Because threatening/kidnapping/killing people is totally fine.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Purkake

[Calax]

Because threatening/kidnapping/killing people is totally fine.

It's not. But they're in a position where they have no way to stop the dumping or any of the other things that are happening to them within what we refer to as "the system". Honestly, they're acting more like a coast guard for profit than anything else.

[Zoraptor]

Because threatening/kidnapping/killing people is totally fine.

Yes.

 

So long as it's the "right people" doing the threatening/ kidnapping/ killing and the "right people" on the receiving end it has always been totally fine.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Zoraptor

[Purkake]

Oh give me a break. Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Pidesco]

Right and wrong have nothing do with Somali piracy.

[Purkake]

Well, kidnapping innocent sailors is wrong, no?

[Pidesco]

So is starving to death, strife and generally living in one of the worst places in the world.

 

 

What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis. You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves.

 

In any case, the point isn't that the pirates are ultimately forces of good, because they aren't. what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy.

[Purkake]

I guess I'm more of a "the end doesn't justify the means" kind of a guy.

 

It's nice if what they're doing helps the country out, but that doesn't make it any better in my eyes.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Purkake

[Calax]

I guess I'm more of a "the end doesn't justify the means" kind of a guy.

 

It's nice if what they're doing helps the country out, but that doesn't make it any better in my eyes.

In theory, you could say that kidnapping is more like arresting.

 

After all the guys ARE the ones who are entering Somali territorial waters.

[Wrath of Dagon]

I guess I'm more of a "the end doesn't justify the means" kind of a guy.

 

It's nice if what they're doing helps the country out, but that doesn't make it any better in my eyes.

In theory, you could say that kidnapping is more like arresting.

 

After all the guys ARE the ones who are entering Somali territorial waters.

No, they are in international waters.

[Nightshape]

So is starving to death, strife and generally living in one of the worst places in the world.

 

 

What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis. You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves.

 

In any case, the point isn't that the pirates are ultimately forces of good, because they aren't. what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy.

 

In a way yes.

 

The best thing the world could do for Africa is to stop giving them aid. It doesn't seem to aid the problem, more that it just kinda prolongs it.

[Gfted1]

So is starving to death, strife and generally living in one of the worst places in the world.

 

 

What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis. You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves.

 

In any case, the point isn't that the pirates are ultimately forces of good, because they aren't. what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy.

 

 

Theres so much wrong with this post I may need to construct a pie-chart or something:

 

1) "What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis."

 

Do you envision these pirates as a benevolent charity that goes from mud hut to mud hut passing out money? The only locals making money are the ones that contributed to the effort (IE: an RPG), everyone else is still having dirt for dinner.

 

2) "You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves."

 

Er, okay. The following things have also killed more people then pirates: malaria, years of warfare, dysentary, lions and halitosis. Also, I wasnt aware that aquiring ransom money made food spring forth from the ground. Oh, you must mean all the bustling food trade that started when the pirates contracted with outside agencies to bring food in.

 

3) "what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy."

 

Please tell me you're kidding. The total sum of whatever these pirates have earned in ransom money is a drop in the pissbucket compared to the billions in relief aid they have received and what they "contribute" back to society is even less. Or maybe you meant the medical program the pirates instituted?

Edited December 4, 2009 by Gfted1

[Pidesco]

Theres so much wrong with this post I may need to construct a pie-chart or something:

 

1) "What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis."

 

Do you envision these pirates as a benevolent charity that goes from mud hut to mud hut passing out money? The only locals making money are the ones that contributed to the effort (IE: an RPG), everyone else is still having dirt for dinner.

 

2) "You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves."

 

Er, okay. The following things have also killed more people then pirates: malaria, years of warfare, dysentary, lions and halitosis. Also, I wasnt aware that aquiring ransom money made food spring forth from the ground. Oh, you must mean all the bustling food trade that started when the pirates contracted with outside agencies to bring food in.

 

3) "what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy."

 

Please tell me you're kidding. The total sum of whatever these pirates have earned in ransom money is a drop in the pissbucket compared to the billions in relief aid they have received and what they "contribute" back to society is even less. Or maybe you meant the medical program the pirates instituted?

 

 

Passing out money? hahaha. Of course not.

 

What pirates are doing is spending their money on the shore on whatever they want, be it "varied forms of entertainment" like booze or drugs, or food, clothes and whatever.

 

Check it!

[Purkake]

In a way yes.

 

The best thing the world could do for Africa is to stop giving them aid. It doesn't seem to aid the problem, more that it just kinda prolongs it.

I say we nuke them and let god sort them out.

 

[Walsingham]

I agree with Gfted1 completely on this. I'm going to let him field it.

[Fenghuang]

So is starving to death, strife and generally living in one of the worst places in the world.

 

 

What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis. You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves.

 

In any case, the point isn't that the pirates are ultimately forces of good, because they aren't. what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy.

 

 

Theres so much wrong with this post I may need to construct a pie-chart or something:

 

1) "What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis."

 

Do you envision these pirates as a benevolent charity that goes from mud hut to mud hut passing out money? The only locals making money are the ones that contributed to the effort (IE: an RPG), everyone else is still having dirt for dinner.

 

2) "You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves."

 

Er, okay. The following things have also killed more people then pirates: malaria, years of warfare, dysentary, lions and halitosis. Also, I wasnt aware that aquiring ransom money made food spring forth from the ground. Oh, you must mean all the bustling food trade that started when the pirates contracted with outside agencies to bring food in.

 

3) "what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy."

 

Please tell me you're kidding. The total sum of whatever these pirates have earned in ransom money is a drop in the pissbucket compared to the billions in relief aid they have received and what they "contribute" back to society is even less. Or maybe you meant the medical program the pirates instituted?

 

 

 

 

Yeah but pirates are pretty bad ass.

[213374U]

So is starving to death, strife and generally living in one of the worst places in the world.

 

 

What's not so wrong is boosting the economy of the area or improving living standards for local Somalis. You can bet the pirates have killed or hurt less innocent people in the kidnappings than famine would have if these pirates hadn't gone out and fended for themselves.

 

In any case, the point isn't that the pirates are ultimately forces of good, because they aren't. what's important is that their kind of enterprise, "nice" or not, will do a lot more to get third world countries out of the pit of famine, strife and disease they're in, than any relief aid or UN supported drives for democracy.

Yeah, this "free for all" mentality is the way to go - even if it gets the pirates blown out of the water by the guys with the 50. cals. That's fine, right? Somalis go "improve their living standards" by seizing ships, and business interests "protect their investments" by deploying heavily armed PMCs on the ships. Everybody wins, and Somalia remains a corruption-ridden failed state. And as with everything ranging from bovine farting-induced global environmental failure to the woes of former colonial areas, it's "our" fault, so they are "justified" in what they do. Oh, the arrogance.

 

And by the way, as Wals suggested, the pirates themselves are getting the breadcrumbs from these multi-million ransom deals. But what they do get, they aren't investing in schools, basic agriculture, or anything that would eventually allow them to mount a sustainable economy. It's just booze and hookers for them. An "improvement" on Sharia and starvation, to be sure.

 

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8...1864300,00.html

 

edit: typos

Edited December 6, 2009 by 213374U

[Purkake]

Actually merchant vessels are not allowed to have any weapons, which is why they are getting attacked left and right and why they need escort ships.