At some point, Thomas Jefferson realized, you just can’t do business with pirates any more.Read the rest here.
For years, the infant American government, along with many others, had accepted the humiliating practice of paying tribute — essentially mob-style protection fees — to a handful of rulers in the Barbary states so that American ships crossing the Mediterranean would not get hijacked. But in 1801, Tripoli’s pasha, Yusuf Karamanli, tried to jack up his prices. Jefferson said no. And when the strongman turned his pirates loose on American ships, Jefferson sent in the Navy to bombard Tripoli, starting a war that eventually brought the Barbary states to their knees. Rampant piracy went to sleep for nearly 200 years.
The question now is: Are we nearing another enough-is-enough moment with pirates?
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Suddenly, a Rise in Piracy’s Price
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
The recent murder of the Christian couple they captured will be a blood stain on them that they will not escape.
Real life piracy doesn't have so much as a hint of glamour or romance, does it?
In San Diego, a bunch of ships loaded with Marines departed "to an undisclosed location." Given the current troubles (unrest in Libya or piracy in Africa--really, take your pick) I'd would have hoped the .gov would know better than to treat the viewing public like idiots.
Love the possibility of our Devil Dogs
....returning to their original purpose as ship-to-ship fighters.
Wasn't piracy on the high seas, back in post-colonial times, punished by immediate hanging upon apprehension by the Navy? That could be a deterrant....
“Jefferson advocated an armed response and eventually war against Tripoli for far less provocation.”
Yeah, but that was Jefferson. This is Obama.
-The Pilgrim
Post a Comment