Ron Paul's plan to fend off pirates

Ron Paul's plan to fend off pirates

news.yahoo.com

A little-known congressional power could help the federal government keep the Somali pirates in check — and possibly do it for a discount price.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I think this is a brilliant idea. Our armed forces are already stressed.

(As long as the usual KBR, Blackhawk etc. don't get a monopoly as usual.)

"A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace." - President Theodore Roosevelt

"Give me a fast ship for I intend to go in harms way." - John Paul Jones

Regards....KK




news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)


[edit on 15-4-2009 by kinda kurious]

Wow, now that's very interesting
But I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not


things can really really get ugly

and ron paul saying every terroist is essentialy a marked man can go really far. Sooner or later that might extend to even innocent people.

I mean come on, free thinkers are considered terroists now

I hope this isn't just another way of hiring private armies and later bring them under US military control.

Think of all the weapons and armouries in private hands....wise, or not?

And what when all the pirates are gone? These vigilante bounty hunters aren't just going to say "OK, thanks" and retire.

Where will it end...

How about making the US military less expensive in the first place eh.

10 million for 1 rescue mission....c'mon....who made the profits from that one?

The problem is, the people doing the pirate-hunting would have a strong economic incentive to capture pirates, without actually ending piracy. This would open the door for a whole host of problems (including hunters setting up treaties with specific pirates). We also have to worry about pirates trying to outbid the US government for the services of the very people who are meant to fight piracy.

I love free-markets, but I could see this blowing up in Washington's face.

[edit on 15-4-2009 by theWCH]

We already have private 'bounty-hunters' working in the US capturing US fugitives..

Whats that show? 'the dog, bounty hunter'? Or something like that on Discovery. What a joke, if you ask me lol But it is rather common, and seems to be profitable for them. It also seems to work (I have even known a few bounty hunters, and private investigators over the years).

Everyone is complaining about loosing personal freedoms, the right to 'bear arms', ect.. and here RP is offering a free market solution, that involves free people arming and taking care of themselves, instead of relying on the military to do it.

Fear of things getting out of hand?? Why do we always have to be afraid of everything?

I think if Ron Paul runs into a lot of opposition on this, it will be because it came from him, and nothing else really.

We could issue letters of marquis, but the fact that the pirates of Somalia have now attacked at least 2 American ships consitutes an act of war. Of course, Obama is going to have to grow a pair to take care of this problem, and I don't see that happening.
Blackwater, or some similar organization, would be able to handle this. There would have to be something in the contract that would keep them from making any treaties or contracts with the pirates, and steep(Life Sentence without parole, or Death Sentence for all involved. Yes this means the entire crew of a ship caught in violation.) penalties. These steep penalties would encourage whistle blowers if a member of the crew knew, or strongly suspected, that skullduggery was afoot.

Originally posted by kettlebellysmith
We could issue letters of marquis, but the fact that the pirates of Somalia have now attacked at least 2 American ships consitutes an act of war.

lol calm down there buddy
this isn't an act of war

understand what kind of ships they were before making that statement
it isn't the navy they attacked

these as unarmed people, of course pirates will attack them
under international law they are allowed weapons though

I say get the damn pirates and the employers that don't allow these sailors guns.

forget the waters, imagine robbers know submissive unarmed people in a house in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours are there for being robbed. Of course the robbers will go for it. That also isn't an act of war

calm down there bud, this is being overhpyed by the media

Well it's an interesting idea, but born out of an age where we didn't have much of a navy and needed privateers.

Judging by the way that the whole Blackwater thing had worked out, I'm not so sure we need more Rambos running around the world holding letters that say "approved by the US government".

You just know that they would eventually capture pirates and torture/execute them - all in our name of course.

The US would just get to be the bad guys all over again.

Looks as if Ron Paul has been reading my posts again!

DANG IT MAN GIVE ME SOME CREDIT WHEN YOU DO THAT!

Shesh oh pete, I don't know how many times I have suggested they do this on this site.

Finnaly Ron Paul comes up with the same dang conclusion?

Problem: Armed pirates are hijacking unarmed civilian ships.
Solution: Arm the sailors of the civilian ships.

Problem solved.

The PTB doesn't want you to believe this.

Hiya KK
I'm not too keen on the idea. Privateers have always been politicized pirates, so the provenance is a little shaky Ron Paul suggests the US pays for these privateers. Is the US responsible for the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters? Wouldn't that pose even more political issues? If all nations are equal, the US (as employer) would be more equal than others.

At the root is the feeble Somalian infrastructure and poverty. It's a lawless country with no immediate change in sight.

I also disagree strongly with those that believe the sailors should be armed. They are merchant navy. Somali pirates have taken hostages and vessels with very little loss of life. Hostages have been released intact and without torture. If the pirates expect to come under fire they might decide it's easier to take vessels without hostages. The ship owners will pay ransom anyway...they always have.

I think cooperation and international efforts are the way to go. Increased moves towards shoring up the impotent Somali govt couldn't hurt. Let's not forget either, that nations don't do deals with terrorists. Police don't do deals with extortionists. These shipping companies have been handing over millions for some years now. If the pirates hadn't taken the oil tanker they'd still be out of the news.....

my plan is to go hire blackwater.. then when around somalia take down your nations flag and put up the pirate flag , stop acknowledging somalia law ect and hang a sign on the bow of the ship in the native language with the warning that coming in a surten distance of the ship there will be use of lethal force . and then let blackwater or other groups fire upon every of those pirate ships coming to close to the ship they are protecting.

Is the US responsible for the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters?

I heard somthing that around 75%+ of the worlds goods that get shipped by sea end of going through suez canal and other choke points that are threatened by pirates. That makes what is happenening in those waters a world issue. The USA is technically not responsible but in order to protect its own interest it should take up some responsibility as should all the other nations of the world that are affect by these pirates.


Also, I really want to be a privateer. Where do I sign up?








[edit on 15-4-2009 by A NeWorlDisorder]

Hell with ron paul. His opposition to the 911 Truth movement proves he's just another lying corrupt politician.

This will turn into a reality show for sure!
Great Idea Ron!!

You can always come up north and run here

It can backfire in a million of possible ways. If one checks history,piracy was always eliminated by government force, not by paying other pirates.
I think that if those countries who really are interested in stopping the piracy would combine real military effort (much more ships with much more clear orders whom to sink) with creating other economical options for simple people in the area, it would both suffocate the current piracy and eliminate future possibility of it. Of course it costs more, but it will work for sure.

I wonder what the penalty would be for pirating the Pirates?
I wonder what used dinghies are fetching these days on E-bay?

It appears that grass-root oriented Ron Paul is up to remind the Congress what the legislative body was established for.

. . . . To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; . . . .

wiki.answers.com...

As far as I know there is nothing to stop the shipping companies from hiring private guards either. Well, except that it would cost money they might not want to pay. However, it might be cheaper than the pirates.

For what its worth - Some firms have alread contacted Blackwater about providing security.

Blackwater: 13 firms want pirate protection

In addition, another private company, Hollowpoint, also will offer maritime protection.

Hollowpoint Maritime Protection

As with anything - if there is a market for the service there is usally someone willing to do it for a fee.



[edit on 15-4-2009 by Frogs]