Comments on: A Bit on Mondern Piracy

By: Capn Jimbo's Rum Project

Capn Jimbo's Rum Project — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:43:57 +0000

I can’t claim competence in this issue, but I fear that we all fall prey to idealizing piracy as if it were a logical, unavoidable and understandable response to monarchy (or corporatism today).

Tell that to Ghandi or the Dalai Lama. Or do we believe that we should repeat the LA and Chicago Riots with our bands of merry men?

We should think twice before we affix golden badges of democracy and workman’s compensation to a choice that is based on pillaging them.

By: Phillip McCann

Phillip McCann — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:28:22 +0000

There are actually some parallels between modern African & historic pirates. They each were poor blokes forced to choose this means of survival when all other avenues were closed. In olden days we all know pirates were the only free men in the world, taking what they could in an age of monarchy, indentued servitude and slavery. These days Somalian pirates, who prefer the term “Somalian Volunteer Coast Guard”, are left with no other means of support after their coast has been ravaged by the Europeans. They’ve either caught all their fish or poisoned them by dumping their toxic & nuclear waste off the coasts of a disorganized & vulnerable country.
South Park was pretty accurate. No one takes on a dangerous occupation like piracy unless there are no other choices. Things were bad throughout the world 300 years ago, and they’re pretty rotten for Somalians now. The world will only stop these modern pirates by acknowldging its responsibility for creating the conditions that forced them into it (I’m talking about you, France!).
Pirates showed the world how bad things were 300 years ago and how there was a better way to treat workers (democracy, worker’s compensation, fair shares of profits) that inspired the reforms of the next 200 years and gave us the world we’re now lucky to inhabit. Hopefully we’ll all stop painting these modern pirates just as bad guys and look clearly at the problems they face. Europe has screwed over Africa for hundreds of years, and this is just the latest instance.

By: Tad

Tad — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:53:03 +0000

I think you could also talk about the difference time period difference and the gold age of pirates coming off a golden age of privateers and wars between France, Spain, and England. Men who had done their job so beautifully were left without work and then decided to keep on doing what they had been doing, but now it was illegal. Somalia pirates is just a sad state of people left with no other option and I hope they will stop pirating and form a government that can get something done.

By: Red Bess

Red Bess — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:04:58 +0000

Bilge, I think you have summed up – very eloquently – what we pirates are all thinking. Thank you.

By: The Quartermaster

The Quartermaster — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:18:47 +0000

“that Somalia and the Bretheren of the Coast indeed overlap in a few key points doesn’t mean we have to compromise or apologize for our love of Golden Age swashbucklers.”.

Damn straight, Bilgey!

This is how I felt when I read the article asking to re-label modern pirates to something else. Does it really matter? Re-label “war” to “police action”. Re-label “death” to “permanent life change”.

It’s all about how people view it, right? It has nothing to do with our own enjoyment because it’s more important to focus on what others think about us. It’s so easy for the common person to view a tri-corn wearer as a terrorist, so let’s get on re-labeling right away!(end sarcasm)

I have an idea. Let’s re-label “pirate” to “person in need of mental stimulation so they dress like someone from the 1700s, but no rape or killing, just cutesy stuff… but they throw up in an alley from time to time”. Problem solved.

I’ll end my mini rant with the same damn quote.

“that Somalia and the Bretheren of the Coast indeed overlap in a few key points doesn’t mean we have to compromise or apologize for our love of Golden Age swashbucklers.”.

By: Captain E.

Captain E. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:51:31 +0000

Them bad pirates be givin’ us good pirates a bad name.

Perhaps a good tar and featherin’ might persuade them to play nice and leave the high seas to us good pirates?!

Three cheers fer the Bilge Munkey!

By: "Mad" Angus Gordon

"Mad" Angus Gordon — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:48:04 +0000

Well said, Bilge.