"But I don't wanna be a pirate."

-Jerry Seinfeld

They really need to crank up a more agressive response to this issue.

No, they need to leave it alone.

People are mad that the US pretends to be the police of the world, well, this is the world with no policing.

I didn't mean to imply that the US should do it, except in the current case of the US citzen.

Make them an offer - One live US captain or a lot of dead pirates.

Only saying this because it is an American that they are holding - otherwise, I'm beginning to agree with UT on this type of thing - let these other countries do it for themselves for a change. Empowerment, freedom and all that.

Show me where you and I are being harmed? Why are those at risk not demanding more protection? A problem still so trivial that they will not even do simple solutions such as convoys.

Ship owners are happy to have additional protection provided for free. Risk so small that insurance rates remain low (even with the increased rates). Why would you advocate curing a problem for others who do not consider the problem significant? Or should we unilaterally impose our will anywhere we 'feel' rather than wait to be desired?

If this was a significant problem, then shippers would have organized into convoys long ago. They will not even do that. Once we eliminate the hype of piracy, well, those who are at risk do not consider that risk significant. Fixing other's problems when even they don't see a problem - how to become the "Ugly American" - as demonstrated by the book.

So many want to arm ships with heavy weapons when the shippers themselves have yet to implement even rudimentary solutions such as convoys. Long before applying solutions, maybe we should first wait for them to need a solution. Shippers currently view this only as a business expense.

This was interesting:

I had no idea there were that many being held.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...f-1667348.html

So in the end we have a stand off as the lifeboat drifts aimlessly.

Well it's over.

US Navy 1

Somalia Pirates -3 and 1 alive.

My guess a NAVSPEC warfare Op.

Glad he reminded the world that this is not our problem, it's everyone's.

I agree. We really should not take this on as our own problem except in the case of our own ships or crews, which in that case we should be ruthless.

I smell movie rights.

Agreed, Merc. When I was doing that IOtD of the ships crew making Molotov cocktails I followed a shitload of links on the pirates. The numbers were astounding and there was even one story about the ransom money was helping fund Al-Qaeda in Africa by the pirates paying them protection. The whole thing is so bizarre in this day and age, it's a reminder of how primitive some of the world still is.

What kind of acts would you resort to if your children are starving? I'd resort to a hell of a lot.

I'd become a pirate given the sucess they have had up to this point. And if I was conversely a ship owner I would mount machine guns on my decks and sink anyone who came close with the intent to take over.

They really should consider allowing private security groups to help them out in this case.