Pirates vow to retaliate

[MikeBjerum]

btw, I thought you might have changed your sstatement at the bottom to something like "may my dog not puke up a recently-devoured rabbit all over the man she thinks I am."         

Thanks for that memory    The daughter and her guy were home for the weekend, and I was held accountable for the stains in the floor.  Let's just say that I didn't go into great detail, or any detail, during dinner.  Belle and I have a new understanding on appropriate manors in the house ... when she gets back in.  However, I'm thinking she won't see the family room until mid summer when the bunnies become more elusive.

[Hazcat]

Thanks for that memory    The daughter and her guy were home for the weekend, and I was held accountable for the stains in the floor.  Let's just say that I didn't go into great detail, or any detail, during dinner.  Belle and I have a new understanding on appropriate manors in the house ... when she gets back in.  However, I'm thinking she won't see the family room until mid summer when the bunnies become more elusive.

Dog, bunnies, puke....How did I miss that story??

[tombogan03884]

Spot on Tom. I've been arguing this point on this board and elsewhere for awhile. For a fraction of the cost of a destroyer and guided missle frigate, we could put a squad  of jar heads on every American flagged vessel and others who were willing to pay, and then extract them by helicopter after they left the danger zone. It seems a lot cheaper,more effective and frankly scarier (to the piates) than what we're doing now. It all boils down to the famous saying "I'd rather have a gun in my hand than a cop on the phone". A classic for a reason.
FQ13

I'm advocating exactly the opposite of what you seem to think. I'm saying put a couple ships on patrol in these waters and if a suspicious vessel puts to sea, blow it out of the water, then when they are cowering in their ports, THAT is when you put a Company of Marines ashore to wreck and kill everything within a mile of the beach. It will not take to long before they learn that piracy is not a job option.

[MikeBjerum]

Dog, bunnies, puke....How did I miss that story??

It was a PM that only Tom got to enjoy ... until you asked ...

Ok everyone - it is time to either divert your attention or blame TT, because I warned you:

A six year old German Shorthair can out run a rabbit regardless of weather or ground conditions, and bunny on the hoof is considered an appetizer on our yard.  However, when I came home from work one evening and saw the front legs and head of a warm bunny at the end of the sidewalk I didn't listen to the inner voice.  I let Belle in, and we assumed the position on the couch.  Everything was fine for the first hour or so, but then she got uncomfortable.  You would think that I would be smart enough that when she gets on and off the couch, wants out and comes right back in but is still restless, that I would just put her out for a while ... wouldn't you?  But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I let her back up on the couch, and within minutes she was standing all hunched up and before I could say OH ... there was a pile of half digested bunny in front of my recliner!  Ten feet later it was another pile in the middle of the hallway.  A half our later, a shovel full of bunny guts in the burn barrel, lots of scrubbing, and a half bottle of Fabreeze in use, and I found myself sitting in a bag chair in the garage comforting a puppy that not only didn't feel real good (but much better than she did an hour prior) but couldn't understand why we couldn't share the couch.

[fightingquaker13]

I'm advocating exactly the opposite of what you seem to think. I'm saying put a couple ships on patrol in these waters and if a suspicious vessel puts to sea, blow it out of the water, then when they are cowering in their ports, THAT is when you put a Company of Marines ashore to wreck and kill everything within a mile of the beach. It will not take to long before they learn that piracy is not a job option.

The trouble with that Tom, is that a "suscpicous vessel" is every fishing boat with 4 guys on board. These folks are fishermen and make their living fron the sea. If we don't let them leave port they, and their families starve. This drives them into the hands of the jihadis and we lose strategically, even if we win tactically (cf Vietnam) because there is lot more going on in Somalia than pirates (I will give a history in a later post if you want). Better to make it clear that attackng a US vessel is a quick way to die. As far as attacking their bases, I'm on board, but we need to understand its going to ugly, bloody, and that lots of innocents and hostages will die. It would be in our strategic (not moral, because we're right) interest to get the international community (defined as those who have ships and men to contribute) behind us before diving into the sewer. I think we have to make that dive, but as a stop gap measure putting the USMC on board our ships seems like a good option.
FQ13

[Sponsor]

[Rastus]

I'm advocating exactly the opposite of what you seem to think. I'm saying put a couple ships on patrol in these waters and if a suspicious vessel puts to sea, blow it out of the water, then when they are cowering in their ports, THAT is when you put a Company of Marines ashore to wreck and kill everything within a mile of the beach. It will not take to long before they learn that piracy is not a job option.

Either the populace who can make a difference get's the lawlessness under control or they all suffer for it.  Not unlike the suffering we are about to receive at the hands of the idiots who voted for BHO.

[Hazcat]

It was a PM that only Tom got to enjoy ... until you asked ...

Ok everyone - it is time to either divert your attention or blame TT, because I warned you:

A six year old German Shorthair can out run a rabbit regardless of weather or ground conditions, and bunny on the hoof is considered an appetizer on our yard.  However, when I came home from work one evening and saw the front legs and head of a warm bunny at the end of the sidewalk I didn't listen to the inner voice.  I let Belle in, and we assumed the position on the couch.  Everything was fine for the first hour or so, but then she got uncomfortable.  You would think that I would be smart enough that when she gets on and off the couch, wants out and comes right back in but is still restless, that I would just put her out for a while ... wouldn't you?  But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I let her back up on the couch, and within minutes she was standing all hunched up and before I could say OH ... there was a pile of half digested bunny in front of my recliner!  Ten feet later it was another pile in the middle of the hallway.  A half our later, a shovel full of bunny guts in the burn barrel, lots of scrubbing, and a half bottle of Fabreeze in use, and I found myself sitting in a bag chair in the garage comforting a puppy that not only didn't feel real good (but much better than she did an hour prior) but couldn't understand why we couldn't share the couch.

.

ROTFLMBO!

Poor puppy!  Needed some pepto!

[ericire12]

It was a PM that only Tom got to enjoy ... until you asked ...

Ok everyone - it is time to either divert your attention or blame TT, because I warned you:

A six year old German Shorthair can out run a rabbit regardless of weather or ground conditions, and bunny on the hoof is considered an appetizer on our yard.  However, when I came home from work one evening and saw the front legs and head of a warm bunny at the end of the sidewalk I didn't listen to the inner voice.  I let Belle in, and we assumed the position on the couch.  Everything was fine for the first hour or so, but then she got uncomfortable.  You would think that I would be smart enough that when she gets on and off the couch, wants out and comes right back in but is still restless, that I would just put her out for a while ... wouldn't you?  But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I let her back up on the couch, and within minutes she was standing all hunched up and before I could say OH ... there was a pile of half digested bunny in front of my recliner!  Ten feet later it was another pile in the middle of the hallway.  A half our later, a shovel full of bunny guts in the burn barrel, lots of scrubbing, and a half bottle of Fabreeze in use, and I found myself sitting in a bag chair in the garage comforting a puppy that not only didn't feel real good (but much better than she did an hour prior) but couldn't understand why we couldn't share the couch.

Happy Easter!

[Rastus]

It was a PM that only Tom got to enjoy ... until you asked ...

Ok everyone - it is time to either divert your attention or blame TT, because I warned you:

A six year old German Shorthair can out run a rabbit regardless of weather or ground conditions, and bunny on the hoof is considered an appetizer on our yard.  However, when I came home from work one evening and saw the front legs and head of a warm bunny at the end of the sidewalk I didn't listen to the inner voice.  I let Belle in, and we assumed the position on the couch.  Everything was fine for the first hour or so, but then she got uncomfortable.  You would think that I would be smart enough that when she gets on and off the couch, wants out and comes right back in but is still restless, that I would just put her out for a while ... wouldn't you?  But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I let her back up on the couch, and within minutes she was standing all hunched up and before I could say OH ... there was a pile of half digested bunny in front of my recliner!  Ten feet later it was another pile in the middle of the hallway.  A half our later, a shovel full of bunny guts in the burn barrel, lots of scrubbing, and a half bottle of Fabreeze in use, and I found myself sitting in a bag chair in the garage comforting a puppy that not only didn't feel real good (but much better than she did an hour prior) but couldn't understand why we couldn't share the couch.

Tell me that gut pile didn't include  pink  eyeballs....     

[tombogan03884]

The trouble with that Tom, is that a "suscpicous vessel" is every fishing boat with 4 guys on board. These folks are fishermen and make their living fron the sea. 1  If we don't let them leave port they, and their families starve. This drives them into the hands of the jihadis and we lose strategically, even if we win tactically (cf Vietnam)  2because there is lot more going on in Somalia than pirates 3 (I will give a history in a later post if you want). Better to make it clear that attackng a US vessel is a quick way to die. As far as attacking their bases, I'm on board, but we need to understand its going to ugly, bloody, and that lots of innocents and hostages will die 4 . It would be in our strategic (not moral, because we're right) interest to get the international community 5 (defined as those who have ships and men to contribute) behind us before diving into the sewer. I think we have to make that dive, but as a stop gap measure putting the USMC on board our ships seems like a good option. 6
FQ13

 1) Wrong, fishing is hard work, if they were fishing they would not have time for piracy. secondly none of the photo's of pirate vessels has shown any nets or other fishing gear.
2) Don't get me started on that one I can go on for a while. 
3) Another glowing example of the political skills of indigenous people who saw their greatest glory since biblical times as a colony of Italy, typified by clan warfare and famine.
4) that was one of the arguments used about the Barbary Pirates in Jefferson's time. It was BS then and it's BS now, the fact is that alot MORE innocent  people will die if we do not kill the guilty, and the ones in boats 30 miles off shore are not the ones giving the orders any more the the "Corsairs" in the "Chebecks" were 210 years ago. The people on shore are not innocent as this is the prime industry , the pirates could not function without the support facilities provided by shore bases. To supply a historical example, after the British Navy and an earth quake flattened Port Royal (a notorious Pirate hang out in the Caribbean) the days of attacks on the Spanish Main were pretty much over.
5) Another flawed idea from Jefferson's time. Considering that there has been no industry in Somali for about 30 years , where pray tell are they getting weapons, ammunition, fuel, communications gear ? Where are they disposing of their loot ? In your precious "International community is where. Massive destruction  in Somalia sends a message to any surviving pirates, but it sends a far more important message to countries like Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
6) It would simply cause them to change their tactics, as long as we allow them base areas it will simply be a battle of methods and counters that will never end. Wipe out the base areas and the problem is not capable of surviving.
You know an interesting overlooked detail of TR's gun boat diplomacy was that countries were a lot nicer and FAR more willing to work out a REASONABLE agreement when we had a Fleet conducting a "Good will" tour of their waters.
Your arguments on this subject illustrate why Santayana specified LEARN history, not just read it.