Pirate Killings Hit 10-Year High Worldwide

When you think of Pirates some fictional characters may come to mind. Or old stories of Pirates long ago. Maybe a good old Pirate movie comes to mind. However news reports today show that the modern pirate is a growing and persistent, real threat to commercial maritime traffic. Pirate killings are at a new 10 year high...

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Not exactly Captain Hook or even the Pirates of the Caribbean these modern pirates are not fictional, and they are on the hunt. Coming to a sea near you.

Welcome to the era of the modern pirate. No sails, faster boats, better weapons, and the same ethics of the of their brethren of the far past.

Some things change with time, yet many stay the same. The thieves among us will always find a way to take what does not belong to them.

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Pirate Killings Hit 10-Year Global High

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Hmm.. interesting story. I think sometimes people forget how vital the oceans are to global trade and warfare because aircraft are so widely used now.

Unfortunately this is very true. A friend of mine's uncle and aunt were somewhere in the carribean when there boat was asked to stop by a group of pirates. They took whatever they saw fit, including the life of his aunt.

How vulnerable are you on a boat in the middle of nowhere. I would think the only threat would be weather related or vessel issues. I would never have thought of being the target of an armed robbery. Unfortunately, once something like this catches on, it spreads like fire. You are at their mercy on the sea, how aweful.

I have read more than 1 article of modern piracy. It is alive and well. This is not a joke. Especially around Indonesia. And they are lethal.

Kinda a romantic notion to know here are still rouges that are on this level of existance are still out there. I wont be rich enough to fear becomming the victim of priates anytime soon....You would think that if you were rich enough to be yachting around, youd be able to afford some serious firepower for yourself.

very fascinating, modern pirates must be highly devoted. the amount of money put into something so risky is probably why they are not as common as in the days of captain hook. done properly i imagine the outcome being enormous. just think if you were to seize a transport carrying computers! $$$$$ its all well and good until you see a floating fortress barreling on top of you, that is the american navy air craft carrier. it would take one helluva pirate to squabble with the american navy and live to tell about it

O my I can see it now The black pearl verses the Enterprize assuming the enterprize is still comishioned?
lol Some weird movie lol.

There is no romance with these dirtballs and the story is very under reported even in the US due to tourisim worries. These people just rape kill and steal what they want and it happens here too so they can use the boats for drug smuggling. even the southern part of the Mississippi can be dangerous.

However crass it may sound it is refreshing to see that avarice is not the exclusive domains of goverments and institutions. I feel badly for the human victims of both of these especially if raped or murdered. I feel badly for people caught up in wars by little preppie boy leaders as I do for those of pirates.

Laws are simply little lines drawn in the sand. They change with time and tides.

factfinder38, the ONLY ROMANCE you perceive is an illusion created by time. If you don't think the REAL pirates of the past weren't crass and without any particular mercy, you would be mistaken.

Can it be called armed robbery if you're out on international waters? Can't you do anything in those waters?