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Forums - General - What should Obama do about somali pirates?

Tyrannical on 15 April 2009
The Ghost of RubangB said:
They want us out of their waters because we're doing illegal things there that are destroying their economy and their food source. Maybe we should stop fucking with Somalia? Just a thought.

 

They already destroyed their own economy and food supply. The only fucking we've done to Somalia is to ship them free food, something they repay by piracy.



Yet, today, America's leaders are reenacting every folly that brought these great powers [Russia, Germany, and Japan] to ruin -- from arrogance and hubris, to assertions of global hegemony, to imperial overstretch, to trumpeting new 'crusades,' to handing out war guarantees to regions and countries where Americans have never fought before. We are piling up the kind of commitments that produced the greatest disasters of the twentieth century.
 — Pat Buchanan – A Republic, Not an Empire

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Rath on 15 April 2009
The Ghost of RubangB said:
They want us out of their waters because we're doing illegal things there that are destroying their economy and their food source. Maybe we should stop fucking with Somalia? Just a thought.

Impossible actually. The Suez canal is too important to abandon and most of these pirate attacks are occuring in the Gulf of Aden.

In any case they don't want us out of their waters, they want to capture the ships and hold them for ransom. They are not freedom fighters, they are pirates.

The only internationally recognised authority actually supports the international action against them.

 



Kasz216 on 15 April 2009
Rath said:
Well if you want the combined navies of the world to actually be able to do something in Somalia the laws of the sea will have to be relaxed. Currently I believe they legally have the check their papers before they can engage a pirate vessel. Thats just not going to work.

 

Heh like Early WW2 subwarfare.

The Nazi subs would surface.  Order the ships to surrender... and only attack if they refused because that was international naval law.



Tyrannical on 15 April 2009

Unmanned predator drones, the ones that can shoot a misslie. We need a bunch of them flying around.



Yet, today, America's leaders are reenacting every folly that brought these great powers [Russia, Germany, and Japan] to ruin -- from arrogance and hubris, to assertions of global hegemony, to imperial overstretch, to trumpeting new 'crusades,' to handing out war guarantees to regions and countries where Americans have never fought before. We are piling up the kind of commitments that produced the greatest disasters of the twentieth century.
 — Pat Buchanan – A Republic, Not an Empire

Coca-Cola on 15 April 2009

Somali pirates vow to kill Americans!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_re_af/piracy

Should we start calling these guys 'terrorists' now?



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Words Of Wisdom on 15 April 2009

We have existing policies and procedures in place to deal with pirates and the like.

Why should President Obama personally do anything?



NintendoMan on 15 April 2009

send some nukes and just blow up the entire region



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Kasz216 on 15 April 2009
Words Of Wisdom said:
We have existing policies and procedures in place to deal with pirates and the like.

Why should President Obama personally do anything?

 

Probably because the polcies aren't working.  I mean an American ship hasn't been attacked in hundreds of years... and now all of a sudden two were... and a senators plane fired on.

I here his plan has to do with a bi partisian effort to deal with the pirates while they are on land.



Moongoddess256 on 15 April 2009

^^^ you betcha ;)



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Words Of Wisdom on 15 April 2009
Kasz216 said:
Words Of Wisdom said:
We have existing policies and procedures in place to deal with pirates and the like.

Why should President Obama personally do anything?

 

Probably because the polcies aren't working.  I mean an American ship hasn't been attacked in hundreds of years... and now all of a sudden two were... and a senators plane fired on.

I here his plan has to do with a bi partisian effort to deal with the pirates while they are on land.

Hm, what exactly would you propose then?  A military escort for every United States vessel entering the region?

Even then, that still doesn't explain why President Obama should handle this personally. 

We have a navy filled (hopefully) with plenty of qualified people who are far more familiar with the situation who likely deal with issues like these on a frequent basis (most of which probably don't get news coverage).  I don't see the President as an omniscient being who knows all and directs every element of the government (that would be a dictator).  I see the President as a decision maker who relies on consulting from all government personnel each versed in their own field and specialty.  IMO, the Presidnet is needed when a judgment call has to be made.   You don't have the head manager of the hospital diagnose and perform the brain surgery, you have the brain surgeon perform it and the manager approve it.