Jump to content

Would you?


observer

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 73
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I would, but my wife wouldn't pay a ransom to get me back.

 

I did the journey back and to in a troopship in 1951 and 1952 to and from Korea , which was not a pleasure cruise.

 

The Red sea and Indian ocean were magical places - flat as pancakes; idyllic weather; watching cinema on deck; the wild life around the ship was a sight to behold.

 

The modern fashion is now flying - you gain a lot but also lose a lot.

 

Happy days

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It happens in a lot of places. When my very posh friend was cruising, she observed a small boat (OK, OK, just for you Asp - a small floating vessel with an engine :wink: ) leave the main ship, meet another boat and then come back. That was the cruise line paying their protection money to the pirates. Local industry, complete with Trade Union and charter, it seems.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too right Ink; Pompey the Great cleared the Med of pirates over 2,000 years ago - if they could do it then - we could do it now: divide the Oceans into operational areas, and systematically sink every unauthorised craft in sight - gradually working towards their bases - then shock and awe on everything from a canoe up! :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds about right. Just give me a small sailing boat equipped with a few cruise missiles and I?ll willingly volunteer for the job. I think that in such cases you need to fight fire with fire rather than pussy footing around worrying about human rights.

 

Fly along the coast and drop leaflets advising the people that unless the piracy stops the next things dropped wont be leaflets!

 

Bill :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:shock: Deary me! Out come the sledgehammers again. All you have to do is hire the existing pirates to police the seas and pay them a decent wage for doing it. Regular, safe, respectable income for all of them as long as they don't let anybody rock any boats..... nothing for anyone if there's trouble.

 

Why do blokes always have to do things the noisy, horrible way? It's easier, cheaper and just plain nicer to give people an incentive than it is to threaten and maim. :roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope. Deadly serious. Piracy is money-driven. Give people a decent, respectable living and natural laziness will do the rest. Why risk your neck kidnapping people for a few grand a year if you can stay home and get twice as much?

 

Or start a war you can't win, encouraging future generations of pirates to kill first and ask questions later. Kill their Dads, make them hate you. Sink their boats, force them to kill cruising couples to get new ones.

 

Seems a no-brainer to me. Cruise liners have no trouble, same principle on a larger scale will see the end of piracy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hiring pirates? You have totally lost the plot.

 

No, poachers turned gamekeepers is the principle. It's been working for centuries. Instead of wasting endless resources and lives trying to stamp them out of existence, invest a bit of time and money to turn them into keepers of the peace. You won't win by blowing up this year's crop, and why should our lads be sent there?

 

Piracy is about feeding their families. Kidnap and ransom are done in a relatively civilised manner, people are well treated, amounts negotiated and hostages returned unharmed. How long will that last under siege and threat? Give them an honourable alternative and everyone wins, as they'll police the troublemakers themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Methinks your somewhat naive LP: Somalia is a failed State, with a weak Government and a multitude of criminal gangs/factions, already at each others throats - which particular faction are you thinking, can become the "gamekeeper" - when none has the capacity to achieve supremacy to-date? :?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the little tinkers would have to work plenty of overtime to get anywhere near the ?4million they are asking for the English couple.

 

By the way ,apparently Somalia is now being flagged up as a future terrorist threat on a par with Al Qaeda so maybe the way forward is to nip this problem in the bud with military or naval action.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give people a decent, respectable living

 

There's your problem right there, the words give people a decent living.

 

Nobody should be given a decent living - especially not just to stop them doing something which carries the death penalty in most places in the world. If they don't want to work for a living, they ain't hungry enough yet.

 

Sink their boats, force them to kill cruising couples to get new ones.

 

Not if they're on board at the time you don't!

 

Seems a no-brainer to me.

 

There's only one no-brainer involved in that post!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Methinks your somewhat naive LP: Somalia is a failed State, with a weak Government and a multitude of criminal gangs/factions, already at each others throats - which particular faction are you thinking, can become the "gamekeeper" - when none has the capacity to achieve supremacy to-date? :?

 

Which faction? Pirates. What goes on inland is another discussion. We are talking about the options for stopping piracy in international waters. There are three options: shoot them all on sight, stay out of that area altogether or try to find a way that gives everybody what they want. Pirates want money, everyone else wants to be safe. I'm not condoning piracy, just saying that the quickest, cheapest and most pleasant method is the compromise. Won't happen, of course - either nothing at all will be done, or there'll be some miserable drawn out naval battle and once again, our servicemen will be shot at.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...