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Pirates are just criminals... at sea

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Criminals (including pirates) are selfish cowards??

Quelle surprise! Well, not to you or me, but apparently to governments and shipping companies. It is about time that some of them realized that fighting back (or, most of the time, simply indicating that you are willing to fight back) is enough to get almost all criminals (including pirates) to look for more docile victims.
 

hermannr

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
I think the ship owners could get those international ports that refuse to land armed commercial ships to change their tune quickly, by just boycoting them. Nothing speaks as loudly as $$$$$$$.
 

DevinWKuska

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
300
Location
Spanaway
I hear surplus mustard gas works rather well.. Flame throwers too! Little wooden boats burning shouldnt be too hard for whoever polices the oceans to find. Let them mow down... I mean take care of the surviving pirates
 

irish52084

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
285
Location
Puyallup< WA
Is it possible to get government approval to hunt down pirates? Something like a letter of marque? I'm kind of surprised a company hasn't tried it already, although there's probably not much profit in it.
 
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END_THE_FED

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
925
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Is it possible to get government approval to hunt down pirates? Something like a letter of marque? I'm kind of surprised a company hasn't tried it already, although there's probably not much profit in it.


Congress certainly has the power to issue letters of Marque against pirates. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea but I would prefer that ships take care of their own security.
 

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
Is it possible to get government approval to hunt down pirates? Something like a letter of marque? I'm kind of surprised a company hasn't tried it already, although there's probably not much profit in it.

Actually yes. However, getting the current, or even the previous admin to locate their nads and issue the letters is another matter.. way too touchy-feely these days...

But, the old Letter or Margue acts are still on the books,so to speak. They just havent been used for a long time..

"Article 1 of the United States Constitution lists issuing letters of marque and reprisal in Section 8 as one of the enumerated powers of Congress, alongside the power to "declare War", and because the United States has not renounced privateering by treaty, in theory it could still issue letters of marque.

No letter of marque has been legitimately issued by the United States since the nineteenth century
.[29] The status of submarine-hunting Goodyear airships in the early days of World War II has created significant confusion. Although various accounts refer to airships Resolute and Volunteer as operating under a "privateer status", Congress never authorized a commission, nor did the President sign one.

The issue of marque and reprisal was raised before Congress after the September 11 attacks[30] and again on July 21, 2007, by Congressman Ron Paul. The attacks were defined as acts of "air piracy" and the Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001 was introduced, which would have granted the president the authority to use letters of marque and reprisal against the specific terrorists, instead of warring against a foreign state. The terrorists were compared to pirates in that they are difficult to fight by traditional military means.[31] Congressman Paul also advocated the use of letters of marque to address the issue of Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden on April 15, 2009. However, the bills Congressman Paul introduced were not enacted into law."
 

Beo

New member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
2
Location
Michigan
Congressman Paul also advocated the use of letters of marque to address the issue of Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden on April 15, 2009. However, the bills Congressman Paul introduced were not enacted into law."

Yet another reason Ron Paul rocks! Why is this man not President yet?
 

amzbrady

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,521
Location
Marysville, Washington, USA
I would think this is an oppurtunity for a new business. A pirate hunting cruise. People pay to go on safari's to hunt elephants, lions, bear, cougars, why not pirates?
 
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