It is now becoming clear why the Spanish have been able to secure the release of their vessels and citizens faster than other countries: they allegedly cave and pay the demanded ransom. Perhaps, the Euro’s rise is making this a small cost of doing business, but one can now see why Somali pirating is the rage.
The Playa de Bakio, a tune boat, was seized by Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades last Sunday. Abdi Khalif Ahmed, chairman of the Haradhere local port authority in central Somalia, declared the happy ending (except for the next ship): “The ship is free and the pirates disappeared into their villages.”
If true, it is an amazing betrayal of an international principle against such ransoms.
For the full story, click here.
Adding yet another verse to that famous nautical shanty:
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus:
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Earl-eye in the morning
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Put him in the hold with the Captain’s daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain’s daughter,
Put him in the hold with the Captain’s daughter,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
What do you do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Put him the back of the paddy wagon,
Earl-eye in the morning!
Chorus
Ransom him out for a million and change,
Ransom him out for a million and change,
Ransom him out for a million and change,
Then slip right back into the village,
Earl-eye in the morning!
nibet:
“Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of insight.”
–Niccolo Machiavelli
Speaking of pirates, did anybody see Keith Olbermann on Letterman the other night?
The man looks like a big round woodtick that just dropped off a dog! I had no idea Olbermann was so grossly “large”.
My take on this might be a little weird, but stick with me for a little bit and see if I’m making any sense.
Historically, whether or not someone was engaged in piracy was defined by nations they were attacking, or nations that supported their attacks. The history of Britain’s struggles with Spain is replete with this, as was our own experience with Britain from the Revolution to the war of 1812. I’m sure the rulers of Tripoley thought of their guys as businessmen. The same is true when it comes to defining smuggling, which is a related industry to piracy.
I’m a fan of capitalism, since it appears to me to be an optimal way to organize commerce and other experiments have exposed deep problems in maintaining people’s freedoms, while attempting to facilitate the flow of goods and services.
However, Capitalism unfettered becomes destructive of the common good and extinguishes “The Free Market.”
Capitalism in our country has often given similar license to some forms of piracy, while making others illegal. A case in point is John D. Rockefeller’s actions in the Colorado mine strikes and Al Capone’s running his Chicago mob. John D. had state and federal government support, while Al (though able to bribe local officials for a time)was done in by The Feds. A good argument could be made that John D. had more people murdered than Al ever did, including the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. John D. lived to a ripe old age and died in his bed, while Al died in Federal prison.
My point is twofold: 1. Defining and dealing with seeming illegality of trade is contextual and yields few easy answers.
2. Capitalism, without restraint and oversight becomes indistinguishable from criminal activity.