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Should ships be armed to combat pirates?

Arm the ships?

  • Yes

    Votes: 152 81.3%

  • No

    Votes: 20 10.7%

  • Offer the pirates carrots

    Votes: 15 8.0%
  • Total voters
    187
#141
Mike, in the Q&A link I posted earlier from the Wash Post, the dude answering the questions explained why armed ships havn't been used in the past, and may not be in the future: Cost. Pure and simple, it's a better financial risk to take a chance and pay the ransom if the very small odds of getting attacked actually occur.

It will be interesting to see what happens now. I can't imagine a Naval response will become the new Operating Paradigm.

Gard: Earlier you implied that the US had paid off Pirates in the past. I hadn't heard that. Is that true?
 
#142
jkritchey said:
Mike, in the Q&A link I posted earlier from the Wash Post, the dude answering the questions explained why armed ships havn't been used in the past, and may not be in the future: Cost. Pure and simple, it's a better financial risk to take a chance and pay the ransom if the very small odds of getting attacked actually occur.
Click to expand...

Cool, I am going to go check out the link. Thanks for posting it.

How much would it cost really to put a handful of AK-47's on a boat? I can pick up a used AK from a gangsta around here for about $75-100 cash, or a bag of crack.

-Mike
 
#143
jkritchey, I may have overstated my position with that, I do not have any definite evidence of it, but thought that some US companies had indeed paid ransoms to get ships and crews released.

If I am mistaken, my apologies.

I still stand by my opinion: we all, every country, and those living in the villages and towns the pirates operate out of, need to stop allowing them to operate in this fashion. Particularly those in the towns and villages in question, if we cut their support out somehow, and make it fatal to even think about boarding a merchant ship, this will stop pretty much right away.

Yes, I believe that we should help the people in the towns, starting with getting the warlords that run things in those places either jailed or buried, so that a legitimate civil government can take control and see to it that all are allowed to live in safety and freedom. Until warlords are no longer the default and de facto government, no amount of assistance will reach the actual residents of those places.
 
#144
MJ5150 said:
Cool, I am going to go check out the link. Thanks for posting it.

How much would it cost really to put a handful of AK-47's on a boat? I can pick up a used AK from a gangsta around here for about $75-100 cash, or a bag of crack.

-Mike
Click to expand...

Mike, the cost is in the liability insurance.

Gard said:
jkritchey, I may have overstated my position with that, I do not have any definite evidence of it, but thought that some US companies had indeed paid ransoms to get ships and crews released.

If I am mistaken, my apologies.

I still stand by my opinion: we all, every country, and those living in the villages and towns the pirates operate out of, need to stop allowing them to operate in this fashion. Particularly those in the towns and villages in question, if we cut their support out somehow, and make it fatal to even think about boarding a merchant ship, this will stop pretty much right away.

Yes, I believe that we should help the people in the towns, starting with getting the warlords that run things in those places either jailed or buried, so that a legitimate civil government can take control and see to it that all are allowed to live in safety and freedom. Until warlords are no longer the default and de facto government, no amount of assistance will reach the actual residents of those places.
Click to expand...

No biggie, just curious. There aren't that many 'US Ships' and whatever that even means anymore. The Maersk Alabama, while flying a US flag and crew, is owned by Danish company.

Shipping, in a geopolitical sense, is incredibly intertwined. There's almost no way a single country can take a unilateral security approach. Ship owners, crew, cargo owner, port owner, and Water rights owner are unlikely to ever be the same country.
 
#150
Let's take all the members of the TB gun club, lease a fast ship and form our Talkbass Security Team Cooperating with Law Enforcement! (TSTCLE) . We can hire TSTCLE out to the shipping companies for a fat fee!

:hyper:

Spector can be the Captain and Pacman can be the 1st Mate.
 
#151
syciprider said:
Let's take all the members of the TB gun club, lease a fast ship and form our Talkbass Security Team Cooperating with Law Enforcement! (TSTCLE) . We can hire TSTCLE out to the shipping companies for a fat fee!

:hyper:

Spector can be the Captain and Pacman can be the 1st Mate.
Click to expand...
Very good! I'd support that, I think.

But is there really NOTHING you guys wouldn't do to get the chance to fire one of your guns in anger? :D
 
#154
Talkbass Security Team Cooperating with Law Enforcement! (TSTCLE)
Click to expand...

Hold up chief....as currently proposed to be named, I'm not one to join a group a few vowels off from testicle. Operation Scrotum begins at 0 dark thirty, got that Major t-bag?

no, not so much.

I do know that I cheered when I heard that we had a safe captain and a few less people that contributed nothing to life. This international issue will be debated for years as a unilateral decision is about impossible.
 
#155
I have a potential solution:

laser-dolphin_large.jpg


no need to thank me now. My thanks is knowing that the world is now safe from piracy
 
#157
As someone who has carried a badge and a gun for 20 years, there's only one way to deal with thugs...... Let's rehabilitate them and give them welfare, free things and give them more rights. Its the American way.



I am being sarcastic of course. Shoot all of them, if they approach your ship fire a couple of shots. Then sink them!!!!
 
#160
Here in Tennessee, everyone is armed, some all the time, and we don't have that big a problem with gun violence. Many kids are trained to shoot at a young age. I guess its just part of our society. Guns aren't the problem. If the French want to throw money at the problem, God bless 'em. But history has shown how successful that will be.

Kill 'em all!! and if that doesn't work, use greased spikes and electrify the hull (2000 leagues under the sea). Thats what Mel Gibson would have done. Oh yea, release vicious dogs on deck!
 

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