knapplc wrote:Whatever, Art. You're making way more out of that statement than necessary. If you want to perceive that you're the one person with the appropriate world view, knock yourself out.
I didn't realize that unless you agree with someone fully, you were questioning their world view and implying that your own is the One True Way.
Whatever though, clearly I'm out of line to disagree with your assessment. I'm sure you're the one person with the appropriate world view.
Keep digging.
Ha! I expect a better reply than that from you, Knapp. Guess I need to adjust my world view. Or at least my cafe view. Don't let me down by not making sure you get the last word in now, too.
I find it interesting that CNN uses the words "follow the killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of three pirates..." It almost seems as if these hijackings were a response, or retaliation. Clearly they were going to hijack more ships regardless of whether we killed their comrades or left them go free. They're in the business of piracy.
knapplc wrote:I wish you could see me right now, because I'm giving my "concerned" face over these threats. It looks a lot like this.
I actually had a similar reaction to Art's reaction. Given the recent release of the three U.S. hostages in Colombia, who were held captive since February 2003, I've seen up close and personal how much time, effort, people, resources, and money are put into combatting these types of threats and while these pirates may not be a huge threat in the overall scheme of things (which is what I think Knappic was intimating) his comments were a little disconcerting, for me.
knapplc wrote:I find it interesting that CNN uses the words "follow the killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of three pirates..." It almost seems as if these hijackings were a response, or retaliation. Clearly they were going to hijack more ships regardless of whether we killed their comrades or left them go free. They're in the business of piracy.
I noticed that this morning, too. They were very careful not to say "in response" or "because of" or anything like that, but clearly they were implying as much. It is irresponsible journalism at best. There were hundreds of hijackings or attempted hijackings before those three guys were killed, and there will most likely be hundreds more, are they going to saying "following the killing of three pirates by US Navy SEALs..." evertime a ship is taken now? I also find it interesting that this has been going on for years, and when this most recent incident took place, there were already dozens of ships and hundreds of men being held ransom, but it becomes an issue (and a major international news story) when a single American is involved.
Art Vandelay wrote:I also find it interesting that this has been going on for years, and when this most recent incident took place, there were already dozens of ships and hundreds of men being held ransom, but it becomes an issue (and a major international news story) when a single American is involved.
Makes sense to me. We're an international power. And when we have Americans who are taken in captivity, our government makes the decision to act. More than that, we have the means to act and to be successful. That's why it is an international story.
I don't know much about these other hostages, but depending on where they are from and their own government's capabilities, they may be stuck for a long time.
"There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness." - Po (Kung Fu Panda)
knapplc wrote:I find it interesting that CNN uses the words "follow the killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of three pirates..." It almost seems as if these hijackings were a response, or retaliation. Clearly they were going to hijack more ships regardless of whether we killed their comrades or left them go free. They're in the business of piracy.
I noticed that this morning, too. They were very careful not to say "in response" or "because of" or anything like that, but clearly they were implying as much. It is irresponsible journalism at best. There were hundreds of hijackings or attempted hijackings before those three guys were killed, and there will most likely be hundreds more, are they going to saying "following the killing of three pirates by US Navy SEALs..." evertime a ship is taken now? I also find it interesting that this has been going on for years, and when this most recent incident took place, there were already dozens of ships and hundreds of men being held ransom, but it becomes an issue (and a major international news story) when a single American is involved.
And not only that, but just last week the French took military action in response to their own people being hijacked. In that instance the hostage was killed. However, we're hearing very little about that, and lots and lots about this action, as if they're completely unrelated events when in fact they're very closely connected. It is a troubling trend in journalism that they are cherry-picking the info they give out, and coloring it in their very choosy ways, so that we have to sift through what they say for what it really means if we're not going to just accept their words at face value.
Journalistic Integrity is long gone these days. The saddest thing is that Comedy Central seems to have two of the most accurate journalists on the air in Stewart and Colbert, and they're making comedy shows. Sad, really.
French warship arrests 11 Somali pirates By Sophie Hardach, Reuters April 15, 2009 11:03 AM
PARIS - The French navy detained 11 Somali pirates on Wednesday who tried to seize a Liberian-flagged merchant ship, and other pirates released a Greek-owned vessel captured in March, officials said.
Heavily armed pirates from lawless Somalia have been increasingly striking the busy Indian Ocean shipping lanes and strategic Gulf of Aden, capturing dozens of vessels, hundreds of hostages and making off with millions of dollars in ransoms.
The French frigate Nivose captured the pirates' mothership, which was carrying two small assault boats, some 900 kilometres east of the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Tuesday, the French Defence Ministry said.
"The centre of gravity for the pirates used to be the Gulf of Aden," said ministry spokesman Christophe Prazuck, adding that there had been a rise in attacks further away from Somalia.
The Nivose, deployed to prevent attacks in the gangs' widening hunting grounds off the coast of Somalia and neighbouring Kenya, tracked the pirates after its helicopter thwarted an attack on the Liberian-flagged Safmarine Asia.
Supported by a surveillance plane, France's frigate is in the region as part of "Operation Atalanta", the European Union's anti-piracy mission that also involves German, Spanish, French and Italian forces.
In a completely unexpected move, the pirates are angry that some of their comrades are now chum:
This Article wrote:A pirate whose gang attacked the aid ship admitted Wednesday that his group was targeting American ships and sailors.
"We will seek out the Americans and if we capture them we will slaughter them," said a 25-year-old pirate based in the Somali port of Harardhere who gave only his first name, Ismail.
"We will target their ships because we know their flags. Last night, an American-flagged ship escaped us by a whisker. We have showered them with rocket-propelled grenades," boasted Ismail, who did not take part in the attack on the Liberty Sun.
Completely expected. Unfortunate, but expected. There are fewer places to hide on the ocean, though. I wonder what these guys are going to do when a Seawolf surfaces underneath them, though?
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by Art Vandelay » Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:55 pm 
