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Avast, ye scurvy dogs!
Author: TriSec
Date: 04/13/2009 11:12:57
Good Morning. I just remembered that Raine asked me to write this...and I've got to make an airport run in less than an hour. So here goes!
This weekend, most of you probably were keeping up with the dramatic pirate situation off the coast of Somalia. Somehow, New England seemed to be at the center of it, as the captain being held is from Vermont, and he attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
In any case, yesterday afternoon the news broke that he had been rescued!
Like many things that happen far from our shores, the US media took scant notice until an actual American was captured. To us, pirates are are part of history. Weird guys with eye patches and a language unto their own, honored annually by Talk like a pirate day.
But it's more serious than that. The BBC has an extensive Q & A section about the pirates and how they are able to capture these huge vessels from small boats.
But what irritates me about all this is our rending of garments and gnashing of teeth over it. President Bush didn't care; the pirates weren't Al-Qaeda, so they didn't exist for him. President Obama seemed caught unawares by the situation....and made some curious remarks about "investigating the problem".
There's been much debate about how to deal with the pirates. Unfortunately, it's all been tempered by avoiding injury and death....but that's the problem. Piracy in the area isn't going to stop unless a few pirate ships and their entire crews are at the bottom of the ocean. This has to be treated like a war zone.
70 years ago, merchant vessels faced a similar threat while crossing the North Atlantic ocean. US and Royal Navy ships escorted them through the danger zone in a convoy system, and some merchantmen even carried RAF Hurricane fighters on their decks to be catapulted off at a critical moment to fend off an attack.
Seems to me this would be an easy thing to implement in the area.
Unlike the nebulous 'terrorists', here pirates have attacked American property and held Americans hostage, but we seem reluctant to do anything about it.
This weekend, most of you probably were keeping up with the dramatic pirate situation off the coast of Somalia. Somehow, New England seemed to be at the center of it, as the captain being held is from Vermont, and he attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
In any case, yesterday afternoon the news broke that he had been rescued!
US navy snipers have shot dead three pirates holding a US captain in a boat off Somalia, in a dramatic rescue authorised by President Barack Obama.
They opened fire from a nearby warship as a pirate pointed a gun at the captive, the navy said.
A fourth pirate, who was on a navy ship at the time, surrendered.
Capt Richard Phillips, hailed as a hero for his actions during the hijacking of his vessel last week, was unharmed and has been resting aboard a US warship.
He has spoken to his wife and family back in the US and is said to be looking forward to celebrating Easter when he gets home.
While defending the rescue operation, a navy spokesman acknowledged that the incident might increase the threat from pirates, whose mounting attacks on shipping have been relatively bloodless to date.
Mr Obama said he was very pleased that Capt Phillips had been rescued and that his courage was a "model for all Americans".
He said he was resolved to deal with the threat of piracy in the region.
Like many things that happen far from our shores, the US media took scant notice until an actual American was captured. To us, pirates are are part of history. Weird guys with eye patches and a language unto their own, honored annually by Talk like a pirate day.
But it's more serious than that. The BBC has an extensive Q & A section about the pirates and how they are able to capture these huge vessels from small boats.
But what irritates me about all this is our rending of garments and gnashing of teeth over it. President Bush didn't care; the pirates weren't Al-Qaeda, so they didn't exist for him. President Obama seemed caught unawares by the situation....and made some curious remarks about "investigating the problem".
There's been much debate about how to deal with the pirates. Unfortunately, it's all been tempered by avoiding injury and death....but that's the problem. Piracy in the area isn't going to stop unless a few pirate ships and their entire crews are at the bottom of the ocean. This has to be treated like a war zone.
70 years ago, merchant vessels faced a similar threat while crossing the North Atlantic ocean. US and Royal Navy ships escorted them through the danger zone in a convoy system, and some merchantmen even carried RAF Hurricane fighters on their decks to be catapulted off at a critical moment to fend off an attack.
Seems to me this would be an easy thing to implement in the area.
Unlike the nebulous 'terrorists', here pirates have attacked American property and held Americans hostage, but we seem reluctant to do anything about it.
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 12:57:22
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 12:57:22
Morning :hug:
Comment by wickedpam on 04/13/2009 13:55:24
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 13:55:24
hmmm - guess everone is sleeping in on Easter Monday :)
Comment by 
m-hadley on 04/13/2009 13:59:44
m-hadley on 04/13/2009 13:59:44
Morning everybodee :D
Hope everyone had a Happee Easter, and Raine and BobR are having fun and are not getting too much sun
BTW, it's national library week - so read a book, why doncha?
Cheers,
mfaye
& :peace:
Hope everyone had a Happee Easter, and Raine and BobR are having fun and are not getting too much sun
BTW, it's national library week - so read a book, why doncha?Cheers,
mfaye
& :peace:
Comment by wickedpam on 04/13/2009 14:02:40
Morning Faye :hug:
I'm reading like 3 and gonna start a 4th - does that help? :D
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 14:02:40
Quote by m-hadley:
Morning everybodee :D
Hope everyone had a Happee Easter, and Raine and BobR are having fun and are not getting too much sun
Cheers,
mfaye
Morning Faye :hug:
I'm reading like 3 and gonna start a 4th - does that help? :D
Comment by 
Random on 04/13/2009 15:15:06
Random on 04/13/2009 15:15:06
Read....a book?
Who are you people?
No one reads books anymore...
Who are you people?
No one reads books anymore...
Comment by Random on 04/13/2009 15:18:56
Random on 04/13/2009 15:18:56
On topic of the post...did anyone see Glenn Beck a few days ago saying this situation was going to be like Carter and the Iran Hostages?
Comment by wickedpam on 04/13/2009 15:28:36
I can't take that man seriously. He's a cartoon.
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 15:28:36
Quote by Random:
On topic of the post...did anyone see Glenn Beck a few days ago saying this situation was going to be like Carter and the Iran Hostages?
I can't take that man seriously. He's a cartoon.
Comment by Random on 04/13/2009 15:31:30
Yes...Yes he is, but that doesn't change the fact that Fox News wanted this to turn into Carter and the Iran Hostages, badly.
Instead they got a well trained team doing their job as it's designed.
Best part is, Obama had almost nothing to do with it, he just put the stamp on it saying, shoot if needed. But because the right wingers wanted him to fail so much, Obama's gonna get more credit than he deserves, which will only bite the nutters in the back end.
I'm rambling kind of.
Random on 04/13/2009 15:31:30
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Random:
On topic of the post...did anyone see Glenn Beck a few days ago saying this situation was going to be like Carter and the Iran Hostages?
I can't take that man seriously. He's a cartoon.
Yes...Yes he is, but that doesn't change the fact that Fox News wanted this to turn into Carter and the Iran Hostages, badly.
Instead they got a well trained team doing their job as it's designed.
Best part is, Obama had almost nothing to do with it, he just put the stamp on it saying, shoot if needed. But because the right wingers wanted him to fail so much, Obama's gonna get more credit than he deserves, which will only bite the nutters in the back end.
I'm rambling kind of.
Comment by 
velveeta jones on 04/13/2009 15:55:20
velveeta jones on 04/13/2009 15:55:20
Morning all!
Been at the Doc's office all day with my sweetie-pie....
Did ya'll hear about the storm that's coming?
A Storm is Coming.. AD
Been at the Doc's office all day with my sweetie-pie....
Did ya'll hear about the storm that's coming?
A Storm is Coming.. AD
Comment by wickedpam on 04/13/2009 16:01:36
At this point with Fox, maybe it's time the FCC really look at them. With all these tea bag party sponserships and airing people with basically hate speech they just come off as a tresonous entity.
THey may have hated MSNBC and CNN(for what reason I have no idea) but neither of this networks actively organized things to incite hate
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 16:01:36
Quote by Random:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Random:
On topic of the post...did anyone see Glenn Beck a few days ago saying this situation was going to be like Carter and the Iran Hostages?
I can't take that man seriously. He's a cartoon.
Yes...Yes he is, but that doesn't change the fact that Fox News wanted this to turn into Carter and the Iran Hostages, badly.
Instead they got a well trained team doing their job as it's designed.
Best part is, Obama had almost nothing to do with it, he just put the stamp on it saying, shoot if needed. But because the right wingers wanted him to fail so much, Obama's gonna get more credit than he deserves, which will only bite the nutters in the back end.
I'm rambling kind of.
At this point with Fox, maybe it's time the FCC really look at them. With all these tea bag party sponserships and airing people with basically hate speech they just come off as a tresonous entity.
THey may have hated MSNBC and CNN(for what reason I have no idea) but neither of this networks actively organized things to incite hate
Comment by Random on 04/13/2009 16:07:40
Oh...I like that, it's funny...if only they had a really gay sounding guy like the original ad.
Random on 04/13/2009 16:07:40
Quote by velveeta jones:
Morning all!
Been at the Doc's office all day with my sweetie-pie....
Did ya'll hear about the storm that's coming?
A Storm is Coming.. AD
Oh...I like that, it's funny...if only they had a really gay sounding guy like the original ad.
Comment by Random on 04/13/2009 16:08:36
dude...keep them. Because honestly, Colbert and Stewart need them. Without these crazies not much for them to make fun of.
Random on 04/13/2009 16:08:36
Quote by wickedpam:
At this point with Fox, maybe it's time the FCC really look at them. With all these tea bag party sponserships and airing people with basically hate speech they just come off as a tresonous entity.
THey may have hated MSNBC and CNN(for what reason I have no idea) but neither of this networks actively organized things to incite hate
dude...keep them. Because honestly, Colbert and Stewart need them. Without these crazies not much for them to make fun of.
Comment by 
livingonli on 04/13/2009 16:24:57
livingonli on 04/13/2009 16:24:57
Good day everyone.
Another late night where I didn't leave until after 2 AM which meant I wasn't able to get up early this morning either.
Another late night where I didn't leave until after 2 AM which meant I wasn't able to get up early this morning either.
Comment by wickedpam on 04/13/2009 16:29:42
Well that is true, they do make for good cannon fodder
wickedpam on 04/13/2009 16:29:42
Quote by Random:Quote by wickedpam:
At this point with Fox, maybe it's time the FCC really look at them. With all these tea bag party sponserships and airing people with basically hate speech they just come off as a tresonous entity.
THey may have hated MSNBC and CNN(for what reason I have no idea) but neither of this networks actively organized things to incite hate
dude...keep them. Because honestly, Colbert and Stewart need them. Without these crazies not much for them to make fun of.
Well that is true, they do make for good cannon fodder
Comment by livingonli on 04/13/2009 20:14:29
livingonli on 04/13/2009 20:14:29
Without blog mods, there is no horseplay, the blog just dies. 
Comment by m-hadley on 04/13/2009 20:40:41
Bad Boy, Random, Bad, Bad Boy :spank:
You should follow Ms. Mala's lead and READ a book or three :P
Cheers,
mfaye
m-hadley on 04/13/2009 20:40:41
Quote by Random:
Read....a book?
Who are you people?
No one reads books anymore...
Bad Boy, Random, Bad, Bad Boy :spank:
You should follow Ms. Mala's lead and READ a book or three :P
Cheers,
mfaye
Comment by livingonli on 04/13/2009 20:43:12
livingonli on 04/13/2009 20:43:12
Always listen to your friendly blog librarian. 
Comment by 
TriSec on 04/13/2009 21:45:07
TriSec on 04/13/2009 21:45:07
Books? I love 'em! I'm reading Books, books, books, books, books, eggs, beans, bacon, and books!!
(Like our friend WP, I've got multiples in progress....five at my last count.)
(Like our friend WP, I've got multiples in progress....five at my last count.)
Comment by livingonli on 04/14/2009 07:40:27
livingonli on 04/14/2009 07:40:27
The return of late night music video theater (also on my facebook page).