After watching Ross Kemp’s documentary on “In Search of Pirates.” I have come to realize these pirates are the product of a 20-year civil war, greed, and hunger. At first I thought, how could these pirates get away with murder and come out with millions of dollars of ransom money? However, the Somali pirates are not hijacking ships out of greed but merely out of survival. The average income is 600 dollars a year in Somalia and one of the main causes of death is starvation. If becoming a pirate means the survival of your family, you too would result to piracy under these conditions. Choice theory is a good explanation for why there is piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the benefit of being a pirate out ways the costs of being a starting citizen in Somalia.
This article just shows how the choices of these pirates are the result to a country at war and the drive to survive. The satellite images show a great deal of growth compared to pervious years. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein used his wealth, which he stole from the people to create palaces; while the Somali pirates use their wealth for the common good.
Craig Meeke The United Nations have failed once again to act accordingly when a humanity crisis occurs in a foreign country. The failures of the U.N range from Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, and Iran and these are only a handful of countries where the U.N failed to act accordingly to prevent bloodshed and chaos. Now Somalia is another country that can be added to the list of failures associated with the U.N. and their policy decisions. After reading the blog and reading the classroom literature an opinion can be formed that the U.N Security Council is made up of corrupt, self-interested countries and has too much power. If seems halfhearted to say “We the people… A stronger U.N for a better world.” I guess this does not apply to the Somali population because they are starving and not better off. If the policy is to promote and reinforce the law with an emphasis on international peace and security then the U.N mission statement is a failure as it pertains to Somalia. With no government to represent the Somalia population the U.N turns a blind eye to the contributing factors of piracy and the problems of Somalia. If foreign countries continue to rape and pillage the resources of Somalia then what options are left for the Somalia people? Although, the actions of the Somalia pirates are wrong they cannot be condemned. Due to numerous illegal activities and the failure to address IUU by foreign countries the pirates of Somalia are forced to seek restitutions. While new money is invested inland creating new towns and building, Mogadishu is still crying for help.
I am very intrigued by this subject, because before this class I had a very negative view of the people of Somali who were involved in piracy. After learning and understanding all of the facts and the hardships that the people of Somali endure on a daily basis, it is no wonder why these people have resorted to crime. Even though they are committing crimes, they are not committing violent crimes; they are simply trying to survive in a world that has not helped them. Hopefully if the piracy continues, the countries that continually keep the Somali people down will have to face their crimes, and allow Somali to prosper as a country. I agree with Craig, we can’t condone the actions of the pirates, but it is good to see that the money they are receiving enhances their country and hopefully all of the money will eventually go to the people of Somali. I am very intrigued by this subject, because before this class I had a very negative view of the people of Somali who were involved in piracy. After learning and understanding all of the facts and the hardships that the people of Somali endure on a daily basis, it is no wonder why these people have resorted to crime. Even though they are committing crimes, they are not committing violent crimes; they are simply trying to survive in a world that has not helped them. Hopefully if the piracy continues, the countries that continually keep the Somali people down will have to face their crimes, and allow Somali to prosper as a country. I agree with Craig, we can’t condone the actions of the pirates, but it is good to see that the money they are receiving enhances their country and hopefully all of the money will eventually go to the people of Somali.
The Somali people are only trying to protect their human rights, especially when there is not any leadership to enforce protection for their waters. I really never understood the "pirate" significance, but after reading more about it, the Somalia’s seem justified in just trying to protect what little they have left. I am not condoning violence but the Somalia’s seem to have formed their own rules of governing and protecting what is theirs. Also, it appears that enforcing their illegal piracy activities is hard to deter and they seem to be continuing business as usual. Perhaps the Somali sea lanes could be called the "1% of nothing".
Somalia like other impoverished countries have such limited resources they are doing whatever it takes to keep heart and soul together. Their families are hungry. The Ross Kemp interview with the pirate from Somalia seemed to feel that what he was doing was no different than other business men. He was not hurting anyone. No victim, no crime. His services was providing for his family and his country. He was trained in the art of piracy, and skilled with weapons. He seemed to be very proud of the accomplishments of his trade. With limited career choices and opportunities, this seems to work for him. I don’t see any of the countries contributing to their plight assisting them in any other direction, so GO Pirates!
How ironic can this be that just as we are studying the Somalia pirates IG, that there was a daring rescue of Jessica Buchanan, American, and Danish aid worker, Poul Thisted. The two hostages were working for the Danish De-Mining Camp, which clears unexploded devices in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East. Mrs. Buchanan had lived in Harguisa, Somali since 2009, when she and Mr. Thisted were kidnapped in the fall of 2011. FBI investigators and special operations lead the Seal Team 6 to the location where the two were being held hostage. The Seal team overpowered the guards, who had been chewing on a narcotic leaf qat that evening and were asleep, and killed nine Solalia pirates that were heavily armed with explosives. The hostages were retrived from the pirate camp and taken to a base in Djibouti. Three pirates are still missing. While US and French forces have been involved to rescue pirate hostages at sea before now, attacks on private land bases are very rare. The timing of the operation was a huge bonus for President Obama, who is presenting a strong national defense front. US officials said that the mission was timed around the weather and a new moon, rather than the President's key State of the Union address.
There is an interesting twist in the aftermath of the two hostages that were rescued by the Seal Team last Wednesday. The one remaining American that is still being held hostage, is in harms way, now. If they try again, we will all die together," warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang. The American hostage has been moved to three different locations and there is speculation that the American would be moved to a ship, because the pirates can defend themselves better at sea. My observation is that we should stop giving the pirates a target. Just think how the Seal Team put their lives on the line and what the operation cost our government financially. Just stay out of their country....the government warns U.S. citizens about the risk of travel. Also, we know how pirates know it is a game of chance: die or get huge amounts of money.
It appears that pirates have adopted a new strategy in Somalia. Pirating vessels off the coastline has declined dramatically over the past year and profits are declining as well. The pirates realize this and decided that kidnapping westerners was an easier prey. Once the pirates were able to collect their first ransom by kidnapping westerners, they realized how extremely valuable westerns were as a source of revenue. It showed that pirates become bolder and even more violent. This suggest that pirates are willing to do whatever it takes to keep revenue flowing. This new strategy indicates that pirates are expanding their pirate operation inland which creates a new major threat to neighboring countries such as Kenya and their tourist industry. An example of how violent pirates are getting would be the incident involving David Tebbutt who resisted the pirates and was shot in the head while his wife was taken by speedboat back to Somalia. What is even more alarming is the fact that pirates have connections to Islamist militants which poses a major threat to the region. It would seem that this part of the world should have a sign that reads: enter at your own risk.
At first when we started looking at the Somali pirates and I read about how they operated I took the notion that they stole for the fun of it and killed for the joy, however after watching Ross Kemps Documentery I see I was wrong in some ways. Yes they do loot and steal and while its wrong and inocent people are killed in the process they way in which they chose to use what they take is what supprised me. It's almost like Robin Hood, and don't get me wrong I am in NO WAY form, shape, or fashion condoning what they are doing, but they use the ransom money to try and better the conditions in which they live in. I think that while trying to better the community is a nobel thing I also think that it does not out way the actions in which they get the money. Humans are not barganing chips or pawns but in places such as Somalia, ransom is the only way they have found that brings them any kind of change..AGAIN I DON'T CONDONE ANY OF THE ACTIONS THAT THE PIRATES TAKE!!!
In response to Amber’s blog on the Somali pirates I would respectively disagree with your blog. The documentary was very persuasive and seemed to play on raw emotions. Meaning individuals who watched the documentary were sympatric including me. However, when the pirates decided to kidnap westerners aid workers for ransom all sympathy vanished. Articles indicate that pirates for all purposes are thugs and a mince to society. The Robin Hood comparison is misleading because Robin Hood was never as violent as these gangsters. The recent violent actions from the pirates and their willingness to associate themselves with Islamist terrorist should be concerning because it poses new threats to society. The fact that Somalia operates with an interim government where warlord clans are part of the process proves the point that this lawless land is the perfect place for terrorist cells to operate. Also, to say that the ransom money is the only way to bring change is an incorrect observation. If buying RPG’s and AK-47 is making your society safer something is wrong with the society. If these pirates cared about Somalia than way not invest in the infrastructure of Mogadishu instead of building inland. These pirates can be classified as gangsters and only hurting their cause by associating themselves with Islamist terrorist. If they continue to operate in this manner Somalia could become the next Afghanistan which spells trouble. So stop feeling sorry for these individuals who are willing to make peoples live in Somalia harder than it already is.
The truth is that if we were in their place, you would be doing the same thing or something along the same line. The Somalia Pirates found a way to make money and if the Governments' of the world believed it was a big problem they would unleash hell on earth upon them. We are lucky to live in a country where the "Pirates" use other means to rob us blind. I do feel sorry for these individuals becaues they do live a life such as this.
The Somalian people are only trying to survive; they live in a world that they do not have a stable government, lack of food and no economy to support their people. These people have to do anything to survive, even if it comes to hijacking a ship and asking for a ransom. This article shows how desperate this people are and how the money that the pirates receive is not being spend on themselves but on their own communities to survive. I know if lived in a country as Somalia, I myself would do anything to survive and would as well pirate ships for ransom just to help my self my family and my people.
Like most of the other posts, I had a different outlook about the pirates before I watched Ross Kemp's video. It really gave me a different view about the pirates and what they were doing. Of course we can all agree crime is crime and it is wrong yet there does seem to be some logic behind what they are doing - survival. The Somalian's are starving and are poor. They really don't seem to have any other choice, except for to starve to death. I am not agreeing with their actions, just that I can see why they do what they do. I think we all would do what we had to do to keep our families from starving, especially if their was no income or another way to provide.
It is wrong with what the Somalian pirates do to get money but at least they do it for the right reasons. I'm not saying it is the right thing to do, but at least they do not use the money for drugs. Seeing the pictures makes me somewhat worried for the ships because it shows that the pirates are either becoming more active or demanding more money. Somalia is a really poor country. According to "http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/somalia/poverty.html" 43 percent of Somalia's population is under the poverty line. With all of this going on I think that the ships need to have better protection around the ship so that it will not be easy for the pirates to get on board.
The Priates are wrong when taking over ships and Demanding millions of Dollars, but if we were put into their shoes what would we do to make a buck? im sure if I was that poor and need to feed my Family I would be doing the same thing. theres no risk for the somalians really if they get caught nothing really happens to them , so they just right back in line to take over another ship another day. It is just Unreal how poor this country is and what the pirates are putting the money into just proves that. they build new buildings, not new cars or drugs.
Im not a big fan of what these pirates do to get money, but i am surprised about what these pirates do with there money. I was thinking these guys build big houses and attempt to live like kings, but instead they are helping out there fellow man. After reading this, my perspective about them has changed dramatically. Coming from an inner city myself, i kind of understand why they result to piracy. Very interesting article that I am going to pass around to my friends.
there never is any excuse of why its Okay to still ships and demand money because its not. Yeah they might be doing it for right "personal" reasons but does not make it legal. Plus they have no reason to stop pirating because if they were to get caught who is gonna put them on trail? So what to do to stop it, their government practically doesn't exist. The Country is broke and no one is coming to their aid. So the only solution is to defend your ship on your own to whatever extent you need to take.
We all see crime as it is, crime. But more times that others do we take into account the actual story that pushes a person or a group over the brink to actually commit a crime, be it logical or illogical. The reason why is because law doesn't really take all circumstances and situations into account. I think is crazy that people have to go through all this just to feed their families or make a living. It's ridiculous and outrageous. Big countries that keep coming into Somalia and polluting the populations and overfishing in the area continue to kill what economy they have left and make it that much harder for people to survive. It seems like for all these countries that we have studied that have vast poverty and corrupt government officials the trends follow almost congruently and that is when it comes to living for survival, living to satisfy law and order is out the window and it now becomes a cut throat survival of the fittest environment. I think that mind set is ultimately what corrupts the minds of man and drives them to all kinds of limits especially crime.
After watching Ross Kemp’s documentary on “In Search of Pirates.” I have come to realize these pirates are the product of a 20-year civil war, greed, and hunger. At first I thought, how could these pirates get away with murder and come out with millions of dollars of ransom money? However, the Somali pirates are not hijacking ships out of greed but merely out of survival. The average income is 600 dollars a year in Somalia and one of the main causes of death is starvation. If becoming a pirate means the survival of your family, you too would result to piracy under these conditions. Choice theory is a good explanation for why there is piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the benefit of being a pirate out ways the costs of being a starting citizen in Somalia.
ReplyDeleteThis article just shows how the choices of these pirates are the result to a country at war and the drive to survive. The satellite images show a great deal of growth compared to pervious years. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein used his wealth, which he stole from the people to create palaces; while the Somali pirates use their wealth for the common good.
Craig Meeke
ReplyDeleteThe United Nations have failed once again to act accordingly when a humanity crisis occurs in a foreign country. The failures of the U.N range from Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, and Iran and these are only a handful of countries where the U.N failed to act accordingly to prevent bloodshed and chaos. Now Somalia is another country that can be added to the list of failures associated with the U.N. and their policy decisions. After reading the blog and reading the classroom literature an opinion can be formed that the U.N Security Council is made up of corrupt, self-interested countries and has too much power. If seems halfhearted to say “We the people… A stronger U.N for a better world.” I guess this does not apply to the Somali population because they are starving and not better off. If the policy is to promote and reinforce the law with an emphasis on international peace and security then the U.N mission statement is a failure as it pertains to Somalia. With no government to represent the Somalia population the U.N turns a blind eye to the contributing factors of piracy and the problems of Somalia. If foreign countries continue to rape and pillage the resources of Somalia then what options are left for the Somalia people? Although, the actions of the Somalia pirates are wrong they cannot be condemned. Due to numerous illegal activities and the failure to address IUU by foreign countries the pirates of Somalia are forced to seek restitutions. While new money is invested inland creating new towns and building, Mogadishu is still crying for help.
I am very intrigued by this subject, because before this class I had a very negative view of the people of Somali who were involved in piracy. After learning and understanding all of the facts and the hardships that the people of Somali endure on a daily basis, it is no wonder why these people have resorted to crime. Even though they are committing crimes, they are not committing violent crimes; they are simply trying to survive in a world that has not helped them. Hopefully if the piracy continues, the countries that continually keep the Somali people down will have to face their crimes, and allow Somali to prosper as a country. I agree with Craig, we can’t condone the actions of the pirates, but it is good to see that the money they are receiving enhances their country and hopefully all of the money will eventually go to the people of Somali. I am very intrigued by this subject, because before this class I had a very negative view of the people of Somali who were involved in piracy. After learning and understanding all of the facts and the hardships that the people of Somali endure on a daily basis, it is no wonder why these people have resorted to crime. Even though they are committing crimes, they are not committing violent crimes; they are simply trying to survive in a world that has not helped them. Hopefully if the piracy continues, the countries that continually keep the Somali people down will have to face their crimes, and allow Somali to prosper as a country. I agree with Craig, we can’t condone the actions of the pirates, but it is good to see that the money they are receiving enhances their country and hopefully all of the money will eventually go to the people of Somali.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Somali people are only trying to protect their human rights, especially when there is not any leadership to enforce protection for their waters. I really never understood the "pirate" significance, but after reading more about it, the Somalia’s seem justified in just trying to protect what little they have left. I am not condoning violence but the Somalia’s seem to have formed their own rules of governing and protecting what is theirs. Also, it appears that enforcing their illegal piracy activities is hard to deter and they seem to be continuing business as usual. Perhaps the Somali sea lanes could be called the "1% of nothing".
ReplyDeleteSomalia like other impoverished countries have such limited resources they are doing whatever it takes to keep heart and soul together. Their families are hungry. The Ross Kemp interview with the pirate from Somalia seemed to feel that what he was doing was no different than other business men. He was not hurting anyone. No victim, no crime. His services was providing for his family and his country. He was trained in the art of piracy, and skilled with weapons. He seemed to be very proud of the accomplishments of his trade. With limited career choices and opportunities, this seems to work for him. I don’t see any of the countries contributing to their plight assisting them in any other direction, so GO Pirates!
ReplyDeleteHow ironic can this be that just as we are studying the Somalia pirates IG, that there was a daring rescue of Jessica Buchanan, American, and Danish aid worker, Poul Thisted. The two hostages were working for the Danish De-Mining Camp, which clears unexploded devices in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East. Mrs. Buchanan had lived in Harguisa, Somali since 2009, when she and Mr. Thisted were kidnapped in the fall of 2011. FBI investigators and special operations lead the Seal Team 6 to the location where the two were being held hostage. The Seal team overpowered the guards, who had been chewing on a narcotic leaf qat that evening and were asleep, and killed nine Solalia pirates that were heavily armed with explosives. The hostages were retrived from the pirate camp and taken to a base in Djibouti. Three pirates are still missing. While US and French forces have been involved to rescue pirate hostages at sea before now, attacks on private land bases are very rare. The timing of the operation was a huge bonus for President Obama, who is presenting a strong national defense front. US officials said that the mission was timed around the weather and a new moon, rather than the President's key State of the Union address.
ReplyDeleteThere is an interesting twist in the aftermath of the two hostages that were rescued by the Seal Team last Wednesday. The one remaining American that is still being held hostage, is in harms way, now. If they try again, we will all die together," warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang. The American hostage has been moved to three different locations and there is speculation that the American would be moved to a ship, because the pirates can defend themselves better at sea. My observation is that we should stop giving the pirates a target. Just think how the Seal Team put their lives on the line and what the operation cost our government financially. Just stay out of their country....the government warns U.S. citizens about the risk of travel. Also, we know how pirates know it is a game of chance: die or get huge amounts of money.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that pirates have adopted a new strategy in Somalia. Pirating vessels off the coastline has declined dramatically over the past year and profits are declining as well. The pirates realize this and decided that kidnapping westerners was an easier prey. Once the pirates were able to collect their first ransom by kidnapping westerners, they realized how extremely valuable westerns were as a source of revenue. It showed that pirates become bolder and even more violent. This suggest that pirates are willing to do whatever it takes to keep revenue flowing. This new strategy indicates that pirates are expanding their pirate operation inland which creates a new major threat to neighboring countries such as Kenya and their tourist industry. An example of how violent pirates are getting would be the incident involving David Tebbutt who resisted the pirates and was shot in the head while his wife was taken by speedboat back to Somalia. What is even more alarming is the fact that pirates have connections to Islamist militants which poses a major threat to the region. It would seem that this part of the world should have a sign that reads: enter at your own risk.
ReplyDeleteAt first when we started looking at the Somali pirates and I read about how they operated I took the notion that they stole for the fun of it and killed for the joy, however after watching Ross Kemps Documentery I see I was wrong in some ways. Yes they do loot and steal and while its wrong and inocent people are killed in the process they way in which they chose to use what they take is what supprised me. It's almost like Robin Hood, and don't get me wrong I am in NO WAY form, shape, or fashion condoning what they are doing, but they use the ransom money to try and better the conditions in which they live in. I think that while trying to better the community is a nobel thing I also think that it does not out way the actions in which they get the money. Humans are not barganing chips or pawns but in places such as Somalia, ransom is the only way they have found that brings them any kind of change..AGAIN I DON'T CONDONE ANY OF THE ACTIONS THAT THE PIRATES TAKE!!!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Amber’s blog on the Somali pirates I would respectively disagree with your blog. The documentary was very persuasive and seemed to play on raw emotions. Meaning individuals who watched the documentary were sympatric including me. However, when the pirates decided to kidnap westerners aid workers for ransom all sympathy vanished. Articles indicate that pirates for all purposes are thugs and a mince to society. The Robin Hood comparison is misleading because Robin Hood was never as violent as these gangsters. The recent violent actions from the pirates and their willingness to associate themselves with Islamist terrorist should be concerning because it poses new threats to society. The fact that Somalia operates with an interim government where warlord clans are part of the process proves the point that this lawless land is the perfect place for terrorist cells to operate. Also, to say that the ransom money is the only way to bring change is an incorrect observation. If buying RPG’s and AK-47 is making your society safer something is wrong with the society. If these pirates cared about Somalia than way not invest in the infrastructure of Mogadishu instead of building inland. These pirates can be classified as gangsters and only hurting their cause by associating themselves with Islamist terrorist. If they continue to operate in this manner Somalia could become the next Afghanistan which spells trouble. So stop feeling sorry for these individuals who are willing to make peoples live in Somalia harder than it already is.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that if we were in their place, you would be doing the same thing or something along the same line. The Somalia Pirates found a way to make money and if the Governments' of the world believed it was a big problem they would unleash hell on earth upon them. We are lucky to live in a country where the "Pirates" use other means to rob us blind. I do feel sorry for these individuals becaues they do live a life such as this.
ReplyDeleteThe Somalian people are only trying to survive; they live in a world that they do not have a stable government, lack of food and no economy to support their people. These people have to do anything to survive, even if it comes to hijacking a ship and asking for a ransom. This article shows how desperate this people are and how the money that the pirates receive is not being spend on themselves but on their own communities to survive. I know if lived in a country as Somalia, I myself would do anything to survive and would as well pirate ships for ransom just to help my self my family and my people.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLike most of the other posts, I had a different outlook about the pirates before I watched Ross Kemp's video. It really gave me a different view about the pirates and what they were doing. Of course we can all agree crime is crime and it is wrong yet there does seem to be some logic behind what they are doing - survival. The Somalian's are starving and are poor. They really don't seem to have any other choice, except for to starve to death. I am not agreeing with their actions, just that I can see why they do what they do. I think we all would do what we had to do to keep our families from starving, especially if their was no income or another way to provide.
ReplyDeleteIt is wrong with what the Somalian pirates do to get money but at least they do it for the right reasons. I'm not saying it is the right thing to do, but at least they do not use the money for drugs. Seeing the pictures makes me somewhat worried for the ships because it shows that the pirates are either becoming more active or demanding more money. Somalia is a really poor country. According to "http://finance.mapsofworld.com/economy/somalia/poverty.html" 43 percent of Somalia's population is under the poverty line. With all of this going on I think that the ships need to have better protection around the ship so that it will not be easy for the pirates to get on board.
ReplyDeleteThe Priates are wrong when taking over ships and Demanding millions of Dollars, but if we were put into their shoes what would we do to make a buck? im sure if I was that poor and need to feed my Family I would be doing the same thing. theres no risk for the somalians really if they get caught nothing really happens to them , so they just right back in line to take over another ship another day. It is just Unreal how poor this country is and what the pirates are putting the money into just proves that. they build new buildings, not new cars or drugs.
ReplyDeleteIm not a big fan of what these pirates do to get money, but i am surprised about what these pirates do with there money. I was thinking these guys build big houses and attempt to live like kings, but instead they are helping out there fellow man. After reading this, my perspective about them has changed dramatically. Coming from an inner city myself, i kind of understand why they result to piracy. Very interesting article that I am going to pass around to my friends.
ReplyDeletethere never is any excuse of why its Okay to still ships and demand money because its not. Yeah they might be doing it for right "personal" reasons but does not make it legal. Plus they have no reason to stop pirating because if they were to get caught who is gonna put them on trail? So what to do to stop it, their government practically doesn't exist. The Country is broke and no one is coming to their aid. So the only solution is to defend your ship on your own to whatever extent you need to take.
ReplyDeleteWe all see crime as it is, crime. But more times that others do we take into account the actual story that pushes a person or a group over the brink to actually commit a crime, be it logical or illogical. The reason why is because law doesn't really take all circumstances and situations into account. I think is crazy that people have to go through all this just to feed their families or make a living. It's ridiculous and outrageous. Big countries that keep coming into Somalia and polluting the populations and overfishing in the area continue to kill what economy they have left and make it that much harder for people to survive. It seems like for all these countries that we have studied that have vast poverty and corrupt government officials the trends follow almost congruently and that is when it comes to living for survival, living to satisfy law and order is out the window and it now becomes a cut throat survival of the fittest environment. I think that mind set is ultimately what corrupts the minds of man and drives them to all kinds of limits especially crime.
ReplyDelete