Piracy

    • Piracy

      It's in the news about how pirates off the coast of Somalia are constantly hijacking ships and holding crew and cargo to ransom. What should be done about it?

      I think that crews of merchant vessels should be given weapons for protection, and that the world's powerful navies should just raid the ports and sink any pirate vessels they can find.
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    • Re: Piracy

      Even if the ships were given weapons, the 'pirate' ships would be able to get equal if not better weaponry from other sources - plus they'd also, more than likely, be more acquainted with weaponry... so if anything it would just increase the violence...

      And raiding the ports... I don't think that would work because there are SO many... right?

      I dunno, sorry to kind of burst the bubble on your ideas... I think something should be done too but it's not an easy situation... :(

    • Re: Piracy

      Well a lot of the pirates use small vessels with basic weapons- Kalashnikovs, RPGs; and scaling the sides of a ship would be much more difficult if the crew were armed.

      And I know there are a lot of ports, but if you took out the main ones such as Eyl, essentially the pirate haven, it would reduce the threat significantly. I also think if navies roamed around with permission to fire upon pirates, it would reduce its appeal.
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    • Re: Piracy

      Trogdor_74 wrote:

      Well a lot of the pirates use small vessels with basic weapons- Kalashnikovs, RPGs; and scaling the sides of a ship would be much more difficult if the crew were armed.

      And I know there are a lot of ports, but if you took out the main ones such as Eyl, essentially the pirate haven, it would reduce the threat significantly. I also think if navies roamed around with permission to fire upon pirates, it would reduce its appeal.


      Hmmm I didn't know those details xD (I've actually not heard this news before xD)

      In that case ya, go ahead with your plan :) xD

    • Re: Piracy

      I don't think they should just be destroyed on sight. I mean, how can you guarantee that it is a pirate ship? They don't exactly hoist the skull and crossbones up the mainsail.

      I think we should help those countries develop their coast guard and navies so that they can actively eliminate the pirates, instead of us going in and doing it for them. It's their country not ours.
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    • Re: Piracy

      asoiafdude wrote:

      I don't think they should just be destroyed on sight. I mean, how can you guarantee that it is a pirate ship? They don't exactly hoist the skull and crossbones up the mainsail.

      I think we should help those countries develop their coast guard and navies so that they can actively eliminate the pirates, instead of us going in and doing it for them. It's their country not ours.


      On your point of "It's their country not ours." It doe effect our country. If trade ships are captured that are being sent to us, we lose those goods. If an oil tanker is captured, we lose that oil. Etc.
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    • Re: Piracy

      asoiafdude wrote:

      I don't think they should just be destroyed on sight. I mean, how can you guarantee that it is a pirate ship? They don't exactly hoist the skull and crossbones up the mainsail.
      Then possibly in the situation where a navy can guarantee the ship/boat has solely pirates on board.

      Simplistic_Revolution wrote:

      On your point of "It's their country not ours." It doe effect our country. If trade ships are captured that are being sent to us, we lose those goods. If an oil tanker is captured, we lose that oil. Etc.
      Other countries effect the U.S. all the time. It's impossible for the U.S. to control everything that influences it.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by LuklaAdvocate ().

    • Re: Piracy

      asoiafdude wrote:


      I think we should help those countries develop their coast guard and navies so that they can actively eliminate the pirates, instead of us going in and doing it for them. It's their country not ours.


      I don't think the political situation in Somalia will allow for an effective coastguard to be formed. It would probably just go straight into the hands of the pirates or some terrorists.
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    • Re: Piracy

      My point is that we can't do everything ourselves. The second problems start happening we always jump in and decide to solve them ourselves.

      Maybe you're right, maybe a cost guard isn't viable. Then have armed guards on cargo ships that go through there to protect them from pirates. They won't attack if they're going to have return fire.
      I'm Proud to be an American.
      Pro-Choice Before Conception, Pro-Life After.
      A person cannot help what they Feel, only what they Do.
      You will never find proof of a god... because it's Faith

    • Re: Piracy

      I was infuriated by their response to the 'elimination' (for lack of a better term) of the three pirate hijackers of a US Captain. They acted as if they were in the right and we were wrong to try to protect our citizens. That pisses me off so much, they're pirates, they kidnapped him, do they expect one of the most powerful countries to just bend over backwards for them and answer their every whim?
      I'm Proud to be an American.
      Pro-Choice Before Conception, Pro-Life After.
      A person cannot help what they Feel, only what they Do.
      You will never find proof of a god... because it's Faith

    • Re: Piracy

      asoiafdude wrote:

      I was infuriated by their response to the 'elimination' (for lack of a better term) of the three pirate hijackers of a US Captain. They acted as if they were in the right and we were wrong to try to protect our citizens. That pisses me off so much, they're pirates, they kidnapped him, do they expect one of the most powerful countries to just bend over backwards for them and answer their every whim?



      I agree with this.
      You can't just kidnap people and expect to get away lightly. Hopefully other countries will do the same as the US and France did.
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