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Piracy .. yes, piracy!


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I see from the news that the young, 16?-year old pirate has arrived to be tried .. we've never done it before .. tried a pirate .. but the UK has such a tradition .. I just wish that G.Brown would make the suggestion .. and avoid this 16-year old being treated like any other 16-year old boy :roll: who's posted nekked photos of his mum on the internet!

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A privateer or corsair used similar methods to a pirate, but acted while in possession of a commission or letter of marque from a government or monarch authorizing the capture of merchant ships belonging to an enemy nation. For example, the United States Constitution of 1787 specifically authorized Congress to issue letters of marque and reprisal. The letter of marque was recognized by international convention and meant that a privateer could not technically be charged with piracy while attacking the targets named in his commission.

 

Many privateers exceeded the bounds of their letters of marque by attacking nations with which their sovereign was at peace (Thomas Tew and William Kidd are notable examples), and thus made themselves liable to conviction for piracy. However, a letter of marque did provide some cover for such pirates, as plunder seized from neutral or friendly shipping could be passed off later as taken from enemy merchants.

 

Privateering lost international sanction under the Declaration of Paris in 1856.

 

We have had pirates - its been a while, but we have. :wink:

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The Yanks have got one of the "pirates" on trial - assuming his guilt, it will cost them a packet to keep him in prison, his three mates in the boat, won't cost them a penny! :wink:

 

Yes .. he'll have a better life than he would have had in Somalia or anywhere else around there .. four square meals a day .. decent clothing .. medical care .. and no mother around insisting that he's a baby!

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