THE MESSAGE:
TODAY’S PIRATES
Perhaps they don’t wear an eye patch, or carry a sword, or musket and sport a peg leg. Maybe they don’t have a feared flag or a shoulder mounted parrot or shout “Ahar Matey” as they engage in ‘swashbuckling’ behaviors. But Pirates today are as common a threat as they have been throughout history. (I am not speaking of the ones in Pittsburgh).
THE BLURB:
Somali Pirates
According to a past BBC report, Somali pirates seized a record 1,181 hostages in 2010, and were paid many millions of dollars in ransom. In the Fall of 2011, more than 300 hundred people were being held hostage by various pirate groups based in Somalia. The International Maritime Bureau considers the Somali coast to be the most dangerous stretch of water in the world. These modern day hooligans carry RPGs, travel in groups of 12 and use speedboats to catch their prey.
On 13 March 2017, Aris 13 tanker, was hijacked by pirates in two skiffs a few miles off Alula, the northernmost town of Somalia in Puntland. It was the first hijacking of a commercial vessel since 2012.
Apparently these pirates find the proceeds from their exploits more attractive than fishing for a living in a war torn country. Recently the situation has become much less frequent; however, there are concerns that the period of relative calm may be over, and the threat from piracy could increase further. Is there a solution?
The Somali government should be able to maintain effective policing and coast guard services as well as implementing new counter piracy legislation. The current regime is seen as weak and ineffective.
Modern Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates are rampant in the Caribbean with a huge surge in activity last year. Seventy-one pirate attacks were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017 which represents a 163 percent increase from the year before, according to the nonprofit group Oceans Beyond Piracy. The group further claimed that 59 percent of the incidents involved robberies on yachts. What is the solution? Are you thinking what I am thinking; a giant sea wall?
These are predominantly drug traffickers whose nautical skill and knowledge of the Caribbean enables them to prey on all strata of society. The traffickers have a dream of pirating and transporting a boat load of drugs to the USA without detection.
PIRACY IS EVERYWHERE
Piracy on the Internet
In the USA the F.B.I. has seized the Web site Megaupload and charged seven people connected with it with running an international enterprise based on Internet piracy. Megaupload, one of the most popular so-called locker services on the Internet, allowed users to transfer large files like movies and music anonymously. Megaupload is accused of causing $500 million in damages to copyright owners and of making $175 million by selling ads and premium subscriptions. Included in the arrests was the site’s founder, Kim Dotcom (Kim Schmitz).
 |
| KIM DOTCOM |
In order to prevent piracy, software developers license software to customers with terms and conditions attached. Services like Kindle Amazon E-books come with fine print that does not allow the sharing or reselling of the books.
Is this the solution or will piracy of copywrited material continue? Some people think that the activity of hijacking copyrighted material is okay. They think nothing of using and sharing with friends, -music, books, or TV subscriptions - without paying the required amounts for such services.
 |
| WHAT ME WORRY........NOT ANYMORE |
Innocent lives have been taken by pirates brain washed to join the cause.
What solution is there to avoid the inconveniences associated with travel by air? Terrorists have pirated travellers’ time and security. Long lines at Airport terminals frustrate the impatient person who must remove the computer; take off the shoes and empty the pockets; bag any pills; limit any liquids or strike the pose with hands on head while being x-rayed.
Corporate Piracy
People produce and sell Knock offs. Some steal trade secrets. Others engage in price gouging, price fixing, currency manipulation, tax avoidance schemes, bribes and other offences that deprive society of legitimate capitalism and honest, respectable business practices.
Government Piracy
The party system of politics allows for unbridled corruption that concentrates on staying in power, patronage, theft of public moneys, and other evils that prevent proper leadership.
Our society contains low life pirates who ‘kidnap’ young girls to work as sex slaves for them. They live of the avails of prostitution and have little or no compassion for the lives they have stolen.
In my opinion the lowest scumbags are the pirates who steal the lives of children by subjecting them to sexual abuse. Even if they do not commit murder; their innocent victims’ lives can never be regained.
THE QUESTION:
I am inclined to expand this section and consider some age-old arguments:
- Regarding displaced native peoples. Has civilization pirated their lands and homes in the name of development or exploration and expansion?
- Have unwanted or unplanned children been pirated?
- Have dictators or Regimes in Iran and North Korea pirated their people’s rights and freedoms
- Have politicians pirated the wishes and aspirations of their constituents in Western Societies?
- Have Governments pirated Truth?
- Are Intelligence Agencies pirates?
- Are immigrants, who come to Canada and insist on Canadian laws being altered to reflect their original traditions, pirates?
THE LEMON:
Awarded to Party Politicians everywhere!
THE QUOTE:
“Let he who is without stones cast the last aspersion.” Tony
No comments:
Post a Comment