Piracy, Stupidity, and America

That pirates attacked an American-flagged ship earlier this month reveals an unsurprising truth: these are not smart people.  Sure, they do what they do with some competence, but attacking a vessel whose capture might instigate retaliation is stupid; it’s like stealing a gun from a policeman — even if you get away with it, you’re going to be in more trouble than it’s worth.

The way America is engaging our new briny threat is, too, indicative of stupidity.  Apparently, we’re interested in imprisoning African pirates.  Great.  Has anyone in the State Department let the FBI know that Somalis would love to be imprisoned in America?  That three meals a day and modern facilities with electricity(1) are neither punishment nor rehabilitation for nearly all Africans?

You know what you have to do to increase attacks on American-flagged ships?  Two things: show them you don’t kill mercilessly(2), and then reward the survivors by flying them to New York so they can have their smiling faces printed in American newspapers.

Notes:

1.  An argument may be made that prison is not a nice place to live.  Well, neither is Somalia.

2. Merciful treatment may be construed as weakness to a Somalian, as toughness is part of African life – the weak do not survive in Africa.  This perceived weakness may be interpreted further as an invitation to attack, since the implications of attack are 1) you control the ship until ransom is paid, in cash; 2) if the attack doesn’t work out, run away as fast as possible to avoid being caught; 3) if caught, surrender immediately to avoid being killed; 4) the worst that can ever happen, if caught, is that you lose your weapons or go to New York City.  Is the stupidity not apparent here?