Ron Paul vs PIRATES, Thinking outside the box

[JSFLY]

Leave it up to Ron Paul to figure out how to deal with pirates. Put a bounty on pirates and have private "mercenaries" to protect the high seas! Sure there are plenty of details to figure out, such as what to do with captured pirates, ethical guidelines for mercenaries... yada yada yada. But personally I really like this idea.

Excerpt:

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

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a growing number of national security experts are calling on Congress to consider using letters of marque and reprisal, a power written into the Constitution that allows the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe.

Used heavily during the Revolution and the War of 1812, letters of marque serve as official warrants from the government, allowing privateers to seize or destroy enemies, their loot and their vessels in exchange for bounty money.

The letters also require would-be thrill seekers to post a bond promising to abide by international rules of war.

In a YouTube video earlier this week, Paul suggested lawmakers consider issuing letters, which could relieve American naval ships from being the nation?s primary pirate responders ? a free-market solution to make the high seas safer for cargo ships.

?I think if every potential pirate knew this would be the case, they would have second thoughts because they could probably be blown out of the water rather easily if those were the conditions,? Paul said.

Theoretically, hiring bounty hunters would also be a cheaper option.


Link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21245.html

 

[bamacre]

This man should be our President.

 

[dphantom]

I like the idea. Letters of Marquee did play a huge role in the Revolutionary War.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Ron who? I thought he did win the Presidency?

 

[zephyrprime]

How could you trust that the bounty hunters would only go after real pirates? They could just trump up some somalis and claim they were pirates. Also, it's not in a bounty hunters own interest to get rid of all pirates since that would put them out of a job. They would only want to keep a few pirates around to keep the issue alive.

 

[soulcougher73]

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

This.

 

[nobodyknows]

I hear Blackwater is looking for work.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
How could you trust that the bounty hunters would only go after real pirates? They could just trump up some somalis and claim they were pirates. Also, it's not in a bounty hunters own interest to get rid of all pirates since that would put them out of a job. They would only want to keep a few pirates around to keep the issue alive.

I think you are confusing government with the market. The big difference here is that there would be competition.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

I cannot believe that I think that I am slowly becoming a Ron Paul bot.

 

[Thump553]

Letters of marque essentially created government sanctioned pirates. For example, letters issued by England would authorize attacks on French ships. It didn't matter what type of ship the French ship was or what it was doing.

Somalia pirates frequently disguise themselves as ordinary fishermen. Does Paul contemplate authorizing attacks on all Somalia boats and ships, regardless of what they are doing? Does he want the US to essentially declare war on Somalia?

What is the incentive to the privateers here? Grab a speedboat and a couple of guns?

These things faded away two centuries ago for lots of valid reasons. I'd like to see some input from an international law expert and a maritime law expert as to any validity of Paul's plan. I have grave doubts about it.

This problem will only be solved when Somalia gets a functioning government and when pirating is no longer a financially viable business for them (right now it is about the only way to make money in Somalia). I'd like to see Saudi Arabia and its rich neighbors pony up some of the cash to do so-Somalia is their neighbor and fellow Muslim state.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

A Fucking Men!

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

I cannot believe that I think that I am slowly becoming a Ron Paul bot.

Resistance is futile.

 

[Dari]

Too bad that this is intended to solve a symptom and not the disease. But it'd be interesting to see who tries to go and arrest a pirate though. Considering how valuable Americans are to terrorists and pirates, it'd be a boon for both sides.

 

[Red Dawn]

Calling on Barnacle Bill and his crew!

 

[her209]

Blackwater USA 2.0

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: Thump553
Letters of marque essentially created government sanctioned pirates. For example, letters issued by England would authorize attacks on French ships. It didn't matter what type of ship the French ship was or what it was doing.

Somalia pirates frequently disguise themselves as ordinary fishermen. Does Paul contemplate authorizing attacks on all Somalia boats and ships, regardless of what they are doing? Does he want the US to essentially declare war on Somalia?

What is the incentive to the privateers here? Grab a speedboat and a couple of guns?

These things faded away two centuries ago for lots of valid reasons. I'd like to see some input from an international law expert and a maritime law expert as to any validity of Paul's plan. I have grave doubts about it.

This problem will only be solved when Somalia gets a functioning government and when pirating is no longer a financially viable business for them (right now it is about the only way to make money in Somalia). I'd like to see Saudi Arabia and its rich neighbors pony up some of the cash to do so-Somalia is their neighbor and fellow Muslim state.

the most level headed response in this thread so far.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

I cannot believe that I think that I am slowly becoming a Ron Paul bot.

If you go to youtube and search for "ron paul republican debate," and watch him again in the last debates, you'll move even further in that direction.

Like I have said before, it isn't so much the Ron Paul destination that we'd get, but the Ron Paul direction, and that's what we desperately need.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

the most level headed response in this thread so far.

Unfortunately it's not really helpful. While the ultimate resolution would be a responsible government, it's akin to saying that the answer to poverty is for everyone to become a millionaire, and just as likely.

The situation is that government reform is not going to happen. After removing that from the list of options, what remains?

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: Thump553
Letters of marque essentially created government sanctioned pirates. For example, letters issued by England would authorize attacks on French ships. It didn't matter what type of ship the French ship was or what it was doing.

Somalia pirates frequently disguise themselves as ordinary fishermen. Does Paul contemplate authorizing attacks on all Somalia boats and ships, regardless of what they are doing? Does he want the US to essentially declare war on Somalia?

What is the incentive to the privateers here? Grab a speedboat and a couple of guns?

These things faded away two centuries ago for lots of valid reasons. I'd like to see some input from an international law expert and a maritime law expert as to any validity of Paul's plan. I have grave doubts about it.

This problem will only be solved when Somalia gets a functioning government and when pirating is no longer a financially viable business for them (right now it is about the only way to make money in Somalia). I'd like to see Saudi Arabia and its rich neighbors pony up some of the cash to do so-Somalia is their neighbor and fellow Muslim state.

It's almost like Ron Paul's idea was quite likely a poorly thought out one, based on a lack of understanding of the consequences of his actions.

Oh wait, that's like pretty much every single other one of Ron Paul's ideas.

 

[JSFLY]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

I cannot believe that I think that I am slowly becoming a Ron Paul bot.

If you go to youtube and search for "ron paul republican debate," and watch him again in the last debates, you'll move even further in that direction.

Like I have said before, it isn't so much the Ron Paul destination that we'd get, but the Ron Paul direction, and that's what we desperately need.

As a die hard lefty, I've always been a big Ron Paul fan. Had he won the primary, it would have been tough choosing Obama over him. It's a shame the religious right that's the base of the republican party didn't feel the same way.... probably due to his views on gay marriage, abortion, and marijuana.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: JSFLY

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: bamacre
This man should be our President.

I cannot believe that I think that I am slowly becoming a Ron Paul bot.

If you go to youtube and search for "ron paul republican debate," and watch him again in the last debates, you'll move even further in that direction.

Like I have said before, it isn't so much the Ron Paul destination that we'd get, but the Ron Paul direction, and that's what we desperately need.

As a die hard lefty, I've always been a big Ron Paul fan. Had he won the primary, it would have been tough choosing Obama over him. It's a shame the religious right that's the base of the republican party didn't feel the same way.... probably due to his views on gay marriage, abortion, and marijuana.

Ron Paul is a huge pro-life guy. He's also a creationist.

 

[yllus]

Great idea, have mercenaries round up and/or kill Somali pirates.

Of course, we'll take them on their word that the people they round up are pirates and aren't just plucked off the shores of Somalia - but we can trust the word of people who are motivated solely by greed and aren't provided any on-the-scene oversight. We'll just ask them to provide evidence by these people engaging in pirate activity - which will again solely be in the form the word of the mercenaries.

Solid plan, Mr. Paul. Apparently unlike most of you, I initially thought the world of the guy, and every day now think a little less of him. This is yet another display of pure stupidity and ignorance.

I'd say I'm amazed by the widespread support the guy has but really he seems like a great fit for his followers: Hyper about grandiose, one-sentence mission statements, utterly ignorant of consequences and the details of how to follow anything up.

 

[nixium]

Hiring goons to take out goons? I don't think that'll end well.

 

[Deeko]

ahhhahahahahahah

This is a joke, right?