Massive kudos to Birmingham Mail columnist Maureen Messent, whose recent column concerning Somali pirates is right on the money. One paragraph from the column sticks out in particular:
And let’s not pretend these predators are our equals deserving of our respect. Blowing a few of their boats to smithereens, along with their crews, is the sole language they will understand.Hallelujah, sister! Here's at least one Brit who hasn't drunk from the Tabernacle of Political Correctness Kool aid, one Brit who isn't a slave to wimpy and culturally suicidal European notions of what constitutes human rights, one Brit who gets it.
Let me man the guns; I'll happily blow every single one of these sub-human apes to smithereens and I'll still sleep very comfortably, thank you very much. In fact, I wouldn't even hesitate.
Exactly how do we prove ourselves better than the pirates, the Taliban or any other assorted terrorist scum by respecting their so-called humanity? Why are they deserving of it? If they have absolutely no notion of human rights, leniency or mercy, and no inclination to show any toward us, I don't see why they should receive any in return. What are we Westerners proving with our "enlightened" attitude toward them? That we're stupid, naive and, as aforementioned, culturally suicidal? Absolutely. As Michael Ignatieff points out in his book "Human Rights as Politics and Idolatry," the West, with its knee-jerk political correctness, is forsaking its political heritage of individualism; in the process eroding the foundations upon which a universal system of human rights may be built.
This brings to mind a letter to the editor somebody had written to a London newspaper complaining about the treatment one of the captured pirates, a 16-year-old, who was captured by the U.S. and extradited there. The letter writer bemoaned the "young African being brought to America in chains." Which just goes to show that even with that half-black hippie in the White House, anti-Americanism still runs strong (or that some people apparently believe we're still living 200 years in the past). That not even Obama is decrying the fate of this innocent little lamb-to-the-slaughter, ought to provide a clue; but then Obama did vow to stand up to the pirates which is what any sensible person would do.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dr Dreadful
"Why are they deserving of [humane treatment]? If they have absolutely no notion of human rights, leniency or mercy, and no inclination to show any toward us, I don't see why they should receive any in return."
And why does that sort of inflammatory comment help any?
It's my understanding that there has been a grand total of one instance of a hostage being killed by the Somali pirates. (Although if you can bring up a citation that says otherwise, by all means do.) The same cannot be said for pirates in other waters.
Strange as it may seem there apparently is a 'pirate code' among these men (actually, more often than not, boys). They are solely interested in ransom - and seem to appreciate that mistreating their captives isn't going to get them their money any faster.
2 - Cindy
Where do we report a bug? It did not like my URL, so my comments haven't been appearing. One in this thread and 2-3 in Dan(Miller)'s thread.
Do I need to write them all over? Shall I just run along and have some more aspirin?
3 - Doug Hunter
Thet're not scum, they're dirt poor and desparate to escape their situation. You don't blow them out of the water because you hate them or thing they're subhuman, you blow them out of the water because that is the quickest and easiest way to eliminate the behavior.
Fear is a powerful motivator and shooting few of them as the US did will make them rethink pirating and maybe go back to internet phishing scams, etc.
4 - Dr Dreadful
Fear is a powerful motivator and shooting few of them as the US did will make them rethink pirating and maybe go back to internet phishing scams, etc.
Doug, kudos on not sharing Mark's knee-jerk outrage. However, I think you're being overconfident. Far from chucking piracy in, a lot of the pirate gang leaders are now hinting that because of the West's aggressive response, they are now going to shoot first and ask where their money is later.
5 - STM
Doc: "they are now going to shoot first and ask where their money is later".
In that case, there's no harm in us shooting first too.
I do understand all the bleeding-heart talk about solving their political problems first, because it will help solve this problem.
But why is that up to us?
They're a stain and anti-piracy task forces are a VERY good idea and should remain in place, doing exactly what they've been doing of late.
If I hear any more nonsense about human rights in regard to this, I'll throw up.
6 - Cannonshop
#4 Doc, it's nice to feel sympathy for blokes in a bad situation...
But Somalia's IN that bad situation of its own making, and if they're ever going to get OUT Of it, they have to do so themselves. If that means blowing up boatloads of the kind of shit-weasels that have CREATED AND CONTINUED the chaos in that country-so be it.
Sitting on the Wogs because they can't govern themselves doesn't solve the underlying problems, nor does showing empathy to criminals and allowing them to continue.
Dead pirates don't hijack ships, take hostages, kill crewmen, resell stolen goods, or collect millions on the black market while simultaneously contributing to the spread of violence and horror in their home turfs, nor do Dead Pirates make a lot of money for Arms and Drug traffickers.
Dead Pirates feed fish, until they're used up.
7 - roger nowosielski
I agree with STM. It is an act of aggression, and so you have to deal with it appropriately.
How different is it from being attacked in an alley by a thug who tries to take your money and life perhaps?
8 - Dr Dreadful
The need to protect oneself and one's (employer's) property is entirely understandable. My major objection is to Mark's cheerleading of the Birmingham Mail op-ed writer's Neanderthal comments.
There is, however, another arguably more pragmatic approach, such as that expressed by the CEO of one (French, I think) shipping company who told the press that paying the $2 million ransom that the pirates who'd hijacked his ship were demanding was cheaper and easier than forking out for the insurance claims and lawsuits that would inevitably result if his crew were killed.
He expressed his reasoning in a more altruistic way than that, but I got what he meant.
9 - Dr Dreadful
And Roger,
The most practical advice if you're confronted in a dark alley by a mugger - unless you're a kick-boxing champion - is to give him your damn wallet.
It's just not worth getting stabbed over.
10 - roger nowosielski
Maybe so; but if you're armed, why not let him have it?
Have you seen those little dinky boats the pirates are operating from? It defies logic they should be able to overtake a liner. The way I see it, it's the ultimate in stupidity.
11 - Dr Dreadful
A few light, easily manoeuvrable speedboats full of heavily-armed pirates well-trained in the art of matching speed with a target and then swarming up the side are more than a match for a big, lumbering merchant ship with a small and probably unarmed crew.
The few vessels that have been able to outrun the pirates actually were cruise liners, most of which are considerably faster than cargo ships.
12 - roger nowosielski
Well, Doc. Then this goes to show that all such transports which enter international waters ought to be adequately armed - what's wrong with a cannon or two? - either for warning purposes, and if that doesn't work, then to blast the shit out of them.
There's just too much pussyfooting, IMO, on the part of commercial interests and or their agents not to be able to deal with this constant thread in a decisive manner.
It really is beyond my understanding, because it is clear and undeniable act of aggression. And to reduce the problem to the matter of insurance costs or any other such consideration only displays lack of moral fiber.
One or two examples of effective handling of the situation would go a long way to prevent it from every happening again. An object lesson is what's desperately needed here to put an end to this bullshit.
13 - Clavos
The few vessels that have been able to outrun the pirates actually were cruise liners, most of which are considerably faster than cargo ships.
The cruise ships are faster than freighters, but still not as fast as the pirate skiffs, which look to be capable of speeds of 30 knots, perhaps more.
The ships which have evaded the pirates did so by employing evasive maneuvers (zig-zagging, etc.) which made it impossible for the pirate skiffs to lay alongside and board them.
I agree with Roger that the target vessels should be armed, but not with cannons nor with weapons in the hands of their own crews, therein lies too much potential for disaster.
Instead, they should be armed with small contingents of combat-ready troops, appropriately armed. Just a handful of well-armed troops on each ship would be sufficient to stop the pirates cold, with far less risk of civilian casualties.
14 - Mark Edward Manning
Re: #5 by STM:
BRAVO, Stan! You're another guy that avoided the Kool-Aid.
15 - Mark Edward Manning
Dr. D: "such as that expressed by the CEO of one (French, I think) shipping company who told the press that paying the $2 million ransom that the pirates who'd hijacked his ship were demanding was cheaper and easier."
Hmmmm, the French trying to buy their way out of trouble. Golly gosh, what a shocker!
Dr. D, the columnist is not a Neanderthal, she's an elderly woman who's sick of Britain's namby-pambiness and who makes a ton of sense (and not just with this column but others she's written as well).
16 - Dr Dreadful
Clavos's solution is more practical than Roger's, but I would observe that the pirates are still in business despite the escalated force now being used against them.
17 - Dr Dreadful
Mark, the fact remains that Ms Messent - and you - are grossly mischaracterising the situation. Albeit that piracy is a serious crime, the Somali pirates are known for not mistreating their hostages.
Their conduct is a long way from that of 'sub-human apes' with 'absolutely no notion of human rights, leniency or mercy, and no inclination to show any toward us'.
Again, if you can point me to an instance (other than the one I cited) of a hostage being killed, I will back down.
18 - roger nowosielski
Well, we haven't implemented yet the kind of measures Clavos talks about - a contingent of well-trained men aboard every ship so as to be able to deal with the situation.
I'm surprised the insurance companies haven't gotten around yet to the point of insisting on adapting some such measures. That way I see it, that would be equivalent to the US Marshals aboard every commercial plane to avert the possibility of hijacking.
I don't see any problem with exchanging fire for fire, as the title of the article suggests. Are there any moral scruples that we need to abide by?
19 - roger nowosielski
I still don't see, Doc, why you're justifying the situation. It's an illegal activity violating the principle of international waters, and it has to be dealt with as sternly as possible.
Inaction or less than adequate action is only bound to encourage it.
20 - Clavos
Clavos's solution is more practical than Roger's, but I would observe that the pirates are still in business despite the escalated force now being used against them.
Not widely enough yet. If they were to experience a few weeks of every ship they attack fighting back, I think they might start looking for new careers.
21 - roger nowosielski
Otherwise, lawlessness will continue.
22 - Dr Dreadful
Roger, I'm not justifying piracy. Just questioning (a) perceptions and (b) whether the advocated response is a wise one.
23 - roger nowosielski
I am well aware you don't. I just don't view these actions as anything other than acts of aggression and attack - on analogy with attacks on a person.
It's not a stately matter, as though in need of diplomacy, but one of maintaining law and order.
The pirates are outlaws, plain and simple. Even Robin Hood was moved be a redeeming idea and could be justified therefore. Not this bunch.
24 - Doug Hunter
"a lot of the pirate gang leaders are now hinting that because of the West's aggressive response, they are now going to shoot first and ask where their money is later."
25 - Doug Hunter
Got cut off there. Anyway, if they shoot first they basically ensure their own demise and won't get their money. The corporations who are paying these pirates are the ones keeping it going and are taking a shortsighted view of the situation. One $2 million payment will fund the next 100 pirate attacks. Eventually, like all organized crime, it must end and that is usually bloody.
I think it best to cut off the motivation to commit piracy, they want to collect ransoms not bullets to the head. A change of policy from the former to the latter will at least keep them away from US flagged ships.