Ron Paul's Plan to Fend Off Pirates - Bounty Hunters/Privateers

[Vince Noir]

Ron Paul's Plan to Fend Off Pirates

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.

Video:



This idea has merit. I would join in but I don't own the following...health insurance, a boat, knowledge of sailing, a gun, Somalia dialect and International Protocols concerning Bounty Hunting.

[Kiljan Arslan]

umm which national security experts are agreeing with him?

[Burnum]

This idea has merit. I would join in but I don't own the following...health insurance, a boat, knowledge of sailing, a gun, Somalia dialect and International Protocols concerning Bounty Hunting.

The doesn't have merit, how would you determine later who was a pirate and who wasn't? For all we know they could be fishermen or whatever, everybody carries Guns in Somalia. Just think how many innocent people were captured by the bounty on alleged Taliban members.

Also, I may be wrong, but the moment you put guns on a ship, it becomes a warship.

[Vince Noir]

The doesn't have merit

I think the nature of my following comment makes it pretty clear that it obviously is not an idea of merit...

[Roman Rapper]

I have a better idea: let's stop dumping all of our toxic waste off the coast of Somalia and poisoning the Somali people. Maybe if we do that they can begin to climb themselves out of poverty and eventually wont need to be pirates at all.

[Burnum]

I have a better idea: let's stop dumping all of our toxic waste off the coast of Somalia and poisoning the Somali people. Maybe if we do that they can begin to climb themselves out of poverty and eventually wont need to be pirates at all.

The dumping of toxic waste was a Catalyst, nothing more. It's the not driving factor for piracy now. The lawlessness and general poverty of Somalia is now, not too mention the Ships aren't fighting back.

[Digbert]

The dumping of toxic waste was a Catalyst, nothing more. It's the not driving factor for piracy now. The lawlessness and general poverty of Somalia is now, not too mention the Ships aren't fighting back.

No one ever attacks Israeli ships do they and that is for one reason every single person on-board carries an Israeli made UZI and believe me they know how to use one

[Burnum]

No one ever attacks Israeli ships do they and that is for one reason every single person on-board carries an Israeli made UZI and believe me they know how to use one

No country is going to allow an armed ship into waters, it just ain't happening.

[StarDreamer]

I have a better idea: let's stop dumping all of our toxic waste off the coast of Somalia and poisoning the Somali people. Maybe if we do that they can begin to climb themselves out of poverty and eventually wont need to be pirates at all.

Eh, since when has it been a toxic waste issue? And any source on the dumping of toxic waste there? And I want a reliable source. Somalia is poor due to instability and the numerous warring factions causing infighting in Somalia, not some outside influence.

[Visna]

Need to take to piracy?
Piracy is an extremely profitable business. The risk is relatively low and the potential profit is extremely high. They're simply "businessmen" trying to make a living in a country which has seen war for the past couple of decades and has been disintegrating for even longer. Some dumping of some toxic waste (imaginary or not) is not gonna change that.

[Viking Prince]

The proposal would only be good against prirates acting against US flagged vessels. Almost nobody flags their merchant ships in the USA. Even the recent encounter with the Maersk Alabama, a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, is an exception to the rule.

[Panzerbear]

in other words, Ron Paul is advertising for a Blackwater Navy? call me crazy, but we already had our share of private security guards blunders in Iraq. Somalia could be much worse, because nobody would run around in Somalia after them with TV video cameras.

[Erik]

in other words, Ron Paul is advertising for a Blackwater Navy? call me crazy, but we already had our share of private security guards blunders in Iraq. Somalia could be much worse, because nobody would run around in Somalia after them with TV video cameras.

Exactly.
Conservatives never learn.

Some ships do hire security forces to escort them through dangerous waters.
But they are only used in case they are attacked, not to actively seek out pirates.

[Phier]

Exactly.
Conservatives never learn.

Some ships do hire security forces to escort them through dangerous waters.
But they are only used in case they are attacked, not to actively seek out pirates.

We never learn to listen to liberal whines about effective policy.

Blackwater is only second to Haliburton in terms of a liberal buggaboo buzz word, but for all the whines they have been quietly competent in their job. US soldiers have done worse than anything done by Blackwater and with less accountablity being they are part of the government.

I think there is something horrifying to the liberal mind that private citizens can be armed doing this kind of work, more effiently then the government.

[justicar5]

We never learn to listen to liberal whines about effective policy.

Blackwater is only second to Haliburton in terms of a liberal buggaboo buzz word, but for all the whines they have been quietly competent in their job. US soldiers have done worse than anything done by Blackwater and with less accountablity being they are part of the government.

I think there is something horrifying to the liberal mind that private citizens can be armed doing this kind of work, more effiently then the government.

This is why mercenaries are bad

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3569...g-in-Iraq.html

If by more effeciently you mean with more random deaths then yes they are, but if you want that just recruit a few suicide bombers.

[2-D Ron]

They should put Alex Jones in a Torpedo Hatch and fire him at the
Pirates.

[Justinian]

What an awful idea. Privateering is dead for a reason...

[Phier]

This would fail but not because of any reason given so far.

It would fail because its not viable for the free market.

What made a letter of marque work was that the holder was to make money in the venture. Its one thing to raid a Spanish galleon filled with gold and silver, or even farm products, its another to capture a speed boat with a few automatic weapons.

In short there is no money in it.

Now take the money aspect out of it, and you lose the competent people, which would leave a few would be rambos, maybe, but odds are they wouldn't have the funding to even get there.

Now if we go from a bounty hunter aspect thats different, the market has returned, but I'd like to see a cost analysis before figuring out which is cheaper in the long run and which is the most effective. Also live fire training is always invaluable to ones armed forces, so that would have to be factored in.

[Panzerbear]

This would fail but not because of any reason given so far.

It would fail because its not viable for the free market.

What made a letter of marque work was that the holder was to make money in the venture. Its one thing to raid a Spanish galleon filled with gold and silver, or even farm products, its another to capture a speed boat with a few automatic weapons.

In short there is no money in it.

Now take the money aspect out of it, and you lose the competent people, which would leave a few would be rambos, maybe, but odds are they wouldn't have the funding to even get there.

Now if we go from a bounty hunter aspect thats different, the market has returned, but I'd like to see a cost analysis before figuring out which is cheaper in the long run and which is the most effective. Also live fire training is always invaluable to ones armed forces, so that would have to be factored in.

really, and whatever happened to the fact that you can always do a sweet govt contract or private contracts with the naval shipment firms? Blackwater Navy, once again. if US govt will not want to get hands dirty, there will be always more than enough qualified ex-military people to do the job for six figures salaries.

there will be doing check-ups of the Somali coastal line and cruising around on their heavily armored speed boats and fire at everything that moves, possibly killing off every pirate in the area within weeks. from the actual real-world application standpoint, Ron Paul's suggestion is absolutely doable.

the big question however is an ethical one. private contractors will engage in illegal activities sooner or later. a couple of well-covered incidents with some dead Somali civilians on the front lines of newspapers will do the trick... this is the political liability Obama administration will never want to have.

[Homeros]

This isn't just a Somalian problem. Those poor Somalian folks are just cannon fodder. If you really want to severely cripple the pirate business, follow the money, cause the vast majority isn't going to Somalia.