billcoe Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 I'm fine when we use the full power of our countries military might to attack, punish, save and release a kidnapped vessel AS LONG AS ITS A US FLAGGED VESSEL! WTF is up with letting ship owners flag their ships in Liberia to avoid the more expensive US laws and maritime requirements and then not expect to get a bill from the US Navy when we spend millions of dollars and risk US lives to help them get out of paying a ransom to pirates? Screw them. Let them pay the ransom and let us teach the pirates that attacking a US flagged vessel is not part of the play book for survival or profit. Why the hell are we running all around the globe being the worlds policeman? This patrolling the horn to protect the worlds shipping is damned expensive and gets us exactly what? Stupid.[/RANT] Quote
Hugh Conway Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 Yup. The country who's flag you are flying is responsible for protecting you. Liberia and Panama are cheap because they don't have to support a military. Quote
Bug Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 On the other hand, if we let those pesky pirates disrupt shipping, it could effect our GNP. Somewhere in there is a balance. I suspect that in the long run, it would be cheaper to find a way to engage the people of the countries these pirates hale from in some productive endeavor that gets us all a better shake. Not because we are responsible for them but because it would be cheaper. It's like trying to alleviate a mosquitoe problem by swatting them with your hands. You can neither rationally pretend they are not there nor can you adequately diminish their numbers with a limited approach. Quote
Jim Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 Gotta use all that expensive military hardware for something! Quote
Hugh Conway Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 On the other hand, if we let those pesky pirates disrupt shipping, it could effect our GNP. Somewhere in there is a balance. I suspect that in the long run, it would be cheaper to find a way to engage the people of the countries these pirates hale from in some productive endeavor that gets us all a better shake. Not because we are responsible for them but because it would be cheaper. It's like trying to alleviate a mosquitoe problem by swatting them with your hands. You can neither rationally pretend they are not there nor can you adequately diminish their numbers with a limited approach. I know! We should invade Somalia! Quote
billcoe Posted April 14, 2009 Author Posted April 14, 2009 How much oil do they have? That's not a question a Canadian needs to concern themselves with sir. We'll take care of the worlds oil issues. Quote
DirtyHarry Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 If we are the World's Policeman it would be cool if we could be Crockett from Crocket & Tubbs on Miami Vice and wear stylish 80's threads and live on a sail boat. And have a sweet Phill Collins / Genesis soundtrack when we made drug busts. Quote
Bug Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 Only by virtue of the fact that we have the most guns. Or the biggest gun, or something like that. Just like the glory days of DelMonte. Quote
powderhound Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 i think most people think its our duty to rid the world of critters and varmen. Quote
pink Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 i think we volunteered? i think the U.N. sucks ass Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 We've been the world's policeman for 200 years. Back then, Europeans were being pussies and paying ransoms to the Barbary pirates. Our marines went in there and kicked some ass. Quote
Hugh Conway Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 We've been the world's policeman for 200 years. Back then, Europeans were being pussies and paying ransoms to the Barbary pirates. Our marines went in there and kicked some ass. Gary proving his historical ignorance again. Quote
DirtyHarry Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 I can feel it coming in the air tonight Hold on ... I've been waiting (waiting) for this moment all my life. Hold on ... Quote
Off_White Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 i think most people think its our duty to rid the world of critters and varmen. You know it's getting ugly when the varmints and the vermin interbreed to produce varmen. At least, as with mules, it's not a fertile hybrid. Quote
kevbone Posted April 14, 2009 Posted April 14, 2009 i think most people think its our duty to rid the world of critters and varmen. funny how they think Americans are the critters and varmen. Quote
prole Posted April 15, 2009 Posted April 15, 2009 "McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas" --Thomas Friedman Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted April 15, 2009 Posted April 15, 2009 i think most people think its our duty to rid the world of critters and varmen. funny how they think Americans are the critters and varmen. livestock, more accurately Quote
Hugh Conway Posted April 15, 2009 Posted April 15, 2009 i think most people think its our duty to rid the world of critters and varmen. funny how they think Americans are the critters and varmen. livestock, more accurately mmmm veal Quote
ivan Posted April 15, 2009 Posted April 15, 2009 i think we volunteered? i think the U.N. sucks ass funny - b/c we basically created it that and the league of nations after ww1 (but then folks such as yourself talked the senate into refusing to join it, a large contributing factor to ww2, and thus the reason for our actually joining the un) for an organization that rarely manages to do anything other than talk, i find it wierd how hated the un is by a large # of amerikkkans who seem to think it's taken over the earth and made the baby jesus cry Quote
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