PIRACY

It seems that pirates and the US Navy are active off the coast of Africa, especially off the Somalia coast.

We at The Study do not know the numbers, but a lot of ships and crew have been taken this year.

Lots of ransoms have been paid.

And there have been some rescues.

The waterways concerned are said to be among the busiest on the planet.

And we are sure that pirates are active elsewhere as well.

What to do?

Payment of ransom is one thing to do.

Ransom is not a solution that will cure the problem. On the contrary, it will doubtless prolong the odious practice of seagoing crime.

Rescue of ship and crew is a good thing to do.

Trial of pirates is good, if they are severely sentenced, even executed.

The seagoing crime rate seems to thrive off the coasts of failed nation states.
Creating successful nation states out of these failed states is not an option.

The best option is prevention of the act itself. The African and Asian failed states whose coastlines provide safe harbor for the seagoing kidnappers, killers, and robbers cannot be turned into successful members of the international community.

Instead, their coastlines and offshore seas must be scoured by naval forces of the successful nation states who have vested interests in maritime commerce.

The un has called for naval nations to enter into negotiations with the failed states to allow for police actions within their territorial waters.

Such police actions should take place with or without the cooperation of the failed states. Cooperation is the best way. But regardless, naval forces should act when and wherever pirates are detected.

Piracy is as old as prostitution and is at least as unsettling to law and order. Correction: it is more unsettling.

And finally, it goes w/o saying what nation must lead the effort.

Guess which one.