The Argument Against Piracy Off The Coast Of Somalia

Their contemporaries described them as “Robbers, Opposers, and Violators of all Laws, Humane and Divine.” Many viewed themselves as a more selfish reincarnation of Robin Hood, stealing from wealthy merchants, foreign traders, and abusive captains, and in doing so, threatening the hierarchical status quo of seventeenth and eighteenth English society by declaring “war against the world.” The Law considered them hostes humani generis, enemies of all mankind. In reality, Anglo-American pirates were none of those things, or perhaps more accurately, were not one but a combination. They were all robbers, since piracy in its most elementary definition is nothing more than a robbery at sea, something the English Admiralty recognized from its establishment in the fourteenth century. There was certainly also some relevance for their self-perceptive image of stealing from the rich and giving to themselves in order to escape the unjustness of a hierarchical society.

“After the 1890 season, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys signed several players from rival American Association teams- including the Philadelphia Athletics star second baseman Lou Bierbauer. The Philadelphia team loudly protested the move, complaining to league officials that the Alleghenys’ actions were “piratical.” The Alleghenys made sport of being denounced for being “piratical” by renaming themselves the Pirates for the 1891 season.” Pirates have had a strong presence throughout the ages; their presence has often garnered acknowledgment from governments- both foreign and domestic. For the most part, pirates are more real than ninjas based upon their presence and the acknowledgment of their existence by governments throughout history.

The Atlantic pirates were after gold or booty as Disney producers portray it to be, but this wasn’t there main goal, instead the Atlantic pirate’s main goal was revenge. After several centuries of poverty and being in the bottom social rank people took to themselves to solve their economic problems by going against king and machinists. Many of these pirates either had worked for this mechanist or for the kingdom’s fleet. As stated by Dr. Marcus Rediker “Merchant seamen got a hard, close look at death: disease and accidents were commonplace in their occupation, rations were often meager and discipline was brutal… Some pirates had served in the navy where conditions aboard ship were no less harsh” (Rediker 206-207). These severe conditions were the driving force for revenge at whatever the cost maybe. The previous experience of being at sea made these pirates very knowledgeable because they also knew that the American colonies were doing their own thing. Even though they were

The use of Irregular Warfare has been ongoing for years around the world. Irregular warfare is described as a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations. I will discuss where the U.S. may apply military force in conjunction with other means of national power to stabilize the nation of Somalia. I will also discuss why it would be considered as an Irregular Warfare environment.

What truly are our, "Basic Human Rights". As a result in December 10, 1948 the Universal Declaration

Blackbeard was a brave and most outspoken sea rovers who operated during early 1700s in the coastal regions of the English Southern parts of the New world. His piracy activities, together with his co-pirates are key sectors in United States of America’s history. Happening in the time eminently known as the golden age of piracy, their brave advances in sea robbery facilitated the gradual demise of sea hijacking and theft on the deep seas.1

To begin, pirates have been prowling the seas as far back as ancient times, such as the “Phoenicians and Greeks in the Mediterranean.” As well Muslim piracy as Jihad has existed since the 17th Century along the Barbary Coast of North Africa.2 These pirates were known as Barbary corsairs, and they would attack ships from Christian countries, seizing their ships and, and selling the sailors into slavery. Today, Somali pirates are seizing ships and taking hostages for ransom along the waters off the coast of Somali and the Gulf of Aden.

For example, Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s crew deposed him for “refusing to take and plunder English Vessels.”[xii] Democracy was the primary mechanism pirates used to control their captains. Also, much like modern American democracy, pirates instituted a separation of powers to regulate the amount of control one man could have. Crews had many officers, each one dealing with a different aspect of upholding the pirate code.[xiii] One could argue that the Framers based their entire government off of the democratic checks and balance practiced by pirates. It is amazing to think that a successful model of democracy was being practiced on pirate ships more then a half century before Congress would sign the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

Almost all pirate crews followed a universal code known as the pirate’s code. This code was used like the Ten Commandments but for pirates. The pirate’s code decided what happened to traitors and thieves along with what happened to men that brought women aboard the ship. The pirate’s code although universal differed from crew to crew. “Before a pirate ship left port all pirates collaborated and signed a document called the articles of agreement, also known as the pirates code” (Johnson). This ensured anything that happened at sea would be followed by the code. Whether the culprit be the captain or a lowly deck cleaner, the code made sure peace was kept upon the ship. Piracy always had to have laws since most people on the ship were criminals. In the end, pirates served a critical role in the development of America. Without them Britain might have won the war of 1812 and taken over in America. Whether it is roaming the seven seas or barricading town, pirates lived adventurous lives that people can only dream about living today. As Hamill Chris quotes Blackbeard in his Book of Pirates, “Life’s pretty good, and why wouldn’t it be? I’m a pirate after

Violence was and is still very common amongst pirates. No one knows for sure show many people were murdered by Golden Age Pirates but, its number was staggering. Modern day pirates have left a dent themselves. During a five year period the UN High Commissioner said that an estimated 2,283 women

The country’s worst violence outbreak in 10 years occurred in May 2006 as Islamist militia began to battle Somali warlords. The Islamist militia gained control of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and went on to establish control in a majority of the south. The government attempted peace negotiations with the Islamic Courts Council, but was

In this 40 minute interview I was accompanied by Abdi Mohammed Said who recently visited Somalia. Mohammed Said grew up in Mogadishu the capital of Somalia. He moved to The Netherlands in 1991. “Some of my friends are fisherman the only thing they want to do is survive” he says. “What the mainstream media is ignoring is why Somali piracy started in the

billions of the world’s poorest, where safety is secured only for those with money, and where much of our well-intended aid is lost in the daily chaos of violence. (Boutros V. and Haugen G., 2014).

The pirates have created a unique system that has easily allowed them to continue to pirate with little conflict between one another. The former fishers, military, and technicians have joined together and mutually have all the skills needed to pirate including; difficulties of the navigation and handling ships, weapon and fighting training, and high tech equipment. They happen to be in a spot where lots of cargo ships have to go through as well as Somalis in port cities that tell the pirates when these ships are coming through. The pirates have a good distribution of power and profits and, without a greedy leader, everyone gets paid and no one rebels which could cause the whole system to collapse from the inside. They

Today, piracy has resurfaced, but in smaller numbers. It is centered mainly around the Middle East on important waterways. For instance, Somalia and the Gulf of Aden are hotspots for pirates, because the passing cargo ships are full of supplies for African relief (May, Laura. “History of Piracy”).