I liked his point at the end... For the people who are against trying a "colonial era" tactic to solve the problem, the use of plain, blunt force/violence is even older and it hasn't seemed to have worked.
Those who say granting civilians letters of marque and reprisal is dangerous mean that it is dangerous to the central government's monopoly on the use of force. They can try to say they mean it would cause unnecessary deaths, but doesn't that happen with the military and government police too? hmmmm? Mind you well that the civilians would only use force defensively, not go hunting like the military and police do.
That said, bravo to the US Navy for taking out those thugs.
I wonder if Dr. Paul just knows all this stuff, or he researches it when an issue arises. Either way, I wish more people in office had his logic and pragmatic approach to problems. He always impresses.
I agree with Glen. There is a free market solution to this problem. Why not allow shipping companies to hire mercenaries to fight off pirates? I'm sure it would be far less costly than paying out millions in randsome money.
Also, the idea that such a policy would result in innocent deaths is ridiculous. The only reason to defend a ship is if you are being attacked. They would not randomly engage other boats on the water merely because they "may" be a threat.
So as things stand right now, a sea going vessel has no rights to weapons to defend themselves and their ship! The very idea!
Posted 04/15/09 5:11 PM BruceKoerber Cedar Rapids, IA
How To Solve Two Piracy Problems At The Same Time!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
As the saying goes: "Between a rock and a hard place!"
The unConstitutional coup in the U.S. wants to take away the right of private citizens to defend themselves while at the same time the only feasible way to stop the Somali pirates is to make it possible for private individuals and companies to defend themselves.
But then you might decide to speak like a neocon and say, the U.S. military will provide all the protection needed.
Reality check!
The U.S is bankrupt and in a short while it will be very clear that we no longer have the money to 'police the world.' And so, independent of the imperialistic actions of the unConstitutional coup the prevention of piracy is very possible. Also, independent of the unConstitutional coup personal liberties and a prosperous economy are very possible.
Why do we allow Congress to allow the unConstitutional coup to exist. Enough of their piracy already, enough is enough!
I know that this is unbelievable, but I believe that we have the technology to have Dolphins to help our Navy and Special Forces at Sea. Dolphins are #1 in Intelligence behind Human Beings…
Thousands of dolphins block Somali pirates_English_Xinhua
Thousands of dolphins blocked the suspected Somali pirate ships when they were trying to attack Chinese merchant ships passing the Gulf of Aden, the China Radio International...
http://www.littletownmart.com/dolphins/
Nineteen centuries ago, Plutarch, a Greek moralist and biographer made this statement: "to the dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage".
In our own times Barbara Tufty made the comment "he [Dolphins] also exhibits a friendly willingness to cooperate with other earth creatures -- a rare attribute which another animal, Homo Sapiens, has not yet learned to do with any consistency". Apparently there is something quite impressive about Dolphins. Not only now, when we are learning so much more about them, but even in the year 62 AD!
Outside of his striking friendliness, the Dolphin seems to have been blessed with a well developed sense of humor. Dolphins have been known to silently maneuver behind an unsuspecting pelican and snatch its tail feathers -- usually leaving the bird minus a few. Other pranks include grabbing unsuspecting fish by the tail, pulling them backward a few feet as well as bothering slow turtles by rolling them over and over. Once a dolphin was seen placing a piece of squid near a grouper's rock cranny. When the fish came out, the dolphin promptly snatched the bait away, leaving the puzzled fish behind.
In 1965 Anthropologist Gregory Bateson made the discovery that dolphins live in social groups dominated by a leader.
This tie is so strong that dolphins kept in total isolation will suffer ill health and possibly death. It has also been observed that dolphins frequently stroke each other with their flippers, hence, indicating that they require physical contact much like humans. A dolphin's skin is extremely delicate and easily injured by rough surfaces--very similar to human skin.
At Marine Studio Oceanarium, Bimbo, an 18 foot pilot whale stopped eating and became aggressive to smaller dolphins in the tank. The trainers, after a long issue, decided that maybe his ego needed bolstering. So they proceeded to drain the tank to the three-foot level. Bimbo, now stranded, began to whistle piteously. Soon all the dolphins gathered around and comforted him with conversation which consisted of whistles, chirps and the usual dolphinese sounds. When the tank was again refilled, Bimbo's manners improved immediately.
Do dolphins talk? Maybe. The above, the next two incidents, and the others scattered throughout this paper will probably lead you to the conclusion that they at least communicate with each other.
In 1962 Dr. Dreher and Dr. Evans were aboard the research vessel Sea Quest, 300 miles south of San Diego, studying gray whales. They had strung a number of vertical aluminum poles and microphones inside Scammon's Lagoon, erecting a type of barrier. A short time later five Pacific Bottle-nosed dolphins were spotted about 500 yards from the barrier. After a few minutes of what was labeled conversation, a scout was sent from the group. Microphones picked up his sonar soundings as he closely surveyed the poles. When he returned to the pod an explosion of whistles, chirps and Bronx cheer-like noises were recorded via microphones. After several minutes of conversation the dolphins proceeded through the barrier and into the bay.4
A similar occurrence was noted when, in 1962, several Lockheed Aircraft Corporation scientists erected a similar barrier across a channel, this time with stronger microphones. As the dolphins approached clicking noises were heard -- possibly sonar soundings. They gathered into a group in nearby shallow water about 400 feet from the barrier. During this time lots of clicks and squeaky-door sounds were recorded. A scout left the group and examined the barrier. When the dolphin returned he was greeted in the same manner as before. After about four minutes of conversation another scout was sent out. Upon his return he too was greeted with the explosion of whistles. After about two and a half minutes the dolphins merrily clicked through the barrier. Returning into the bay that afternoon, and the next morning leaving the bay, the pod did not send a scout when they came to the barrier.....nor did they even slow down.
Dr. John C. Lilly, who has provided extensive research on dolphins, performed the following two experiments which I consider well worthy of notice.
Using a mind probe set in the brain, which when stimulated with an electrical current gave the dolphin a rewarding sensation, Dr. Lilly set up a switch where Dolphin #6 could reward himself by pushing a lever. "While I was assembling it, I noticed that the dolphin was closely watching what I was doing. Almost before I could finish assembling and placing the rods necessary to push the switch (which was out of the water above the animal), the dolphin started pushing on the rod. By the time the switch was connected to the rest of the apparatus he had learned the proper way to push it.
There was no random or apparent accidental contacts before the dolphin learned how. The same thing happened with three different dolphins. They seemed to anticipate the purpose of the switch. Probably from seeing him push it and connecting the push to the reward. Dr. Lilly had used this same technique on monkeys and made the statement that it usually took a chimp about 100 random tries before he learned to push the button, and then a few more to learn how to push the button.
Dr. Lilly was attempting to make Dolphin #8 whistle a burst of a given pitch, duration and intensity in order to obtain a reward. The dolphin quickly caught on. Every time he whistled his blowhole would move and a whistle would be emitted. Then Dr. Lilly noticed that the dolphin had added a new rule to the game. He was raising the pitch of each subsequent whistle. Suddenly, the blowhole twitched, but no sound. He had passed our hearing range. No sound-- no reward. Dolphin #8 emitted two more supersonic twitches and the third was hearable. From that time on he did not go out of Dr. Lilly's acoustic range. The Dolphin had determined what his hearing range was and stayed within it.
Unfortunately the water temperature dropped too low and this dolphin was lost shortly after this session.7
As far as I know this is the first time that an obvious experiment has been performed on a human by another species -- and put into use afterwards. Dolphin #8 belonged to the species Tursiops truncatus; or commonly called a bottle-nosed dolphin.
The brain size of a bottle-nosed dolphin is comparable to ours at birth and, during their lifetime develops well into the upper levels of the maximum size for modern man -- about 1700 grams. A dolphin's brain size increases very rapidly during youth and seems to slow down at nine years of age. This decrease is less than our slow down which occurs at our equivalent age of 17 years and afterwards.
As a brain grows in size and as a child ages, immersed in many daily language situations, both brain and language increase in complexity. The usual human brain reaches 1400 grams at 10 to 17 years of age. The levels of complex thinking at this time increase tremendously over that of beginning speech.
Absolute Weight of Brain: Man & Tursiops truncatus 8
Brain Weight
(grams) Age of Man Age of Dolphin Length of
Dolphin
1200 41 months 23 months 6' 6"
1350 78 months 28 months 7' 8"
1450 17 years 8 years 7' 10"
1600 10 years 8' 6"
1700 ? ?
Put a couple security gaurds with machine guns on each large merchant ship, pay them $13 and hour, and there isnt a pirate raft on earth that can take that ship. The pirates are just in it for the money, they arent gonna be trying to board a ship thats pumping them full of lead cause it isnt cost-effective and they can get killed. Its really that simple.
Posted 04/15/09 7:22 PM MikeKlamecki Elkhart Lake, WI
I continue to be amazed at how Dr. Paul handles these people that ask questions in an effort to make him (Dr. Paul) look foolish. "What will these letters do?" and on and on. The sarcasm in this man's voice was beyond belief. But like always the skeptical interviewer is the one that comes off looking foolish in the end!
I do support ships being able to carry guns but I do think we could do just what Jefferson did with the barbary pirates; have the military blow them out of the water.
Posted 04/16/09 05:17 AM Justin DeWind Grand Rapids, MI
Don't worry guys, Hillary has found the solution to the problem. Freeze their assets and money supply! Does that sound ridiculous on its face value in that these are essentially a destitute people?
I think allowing private citizens to take care of it fine insomuch as they abide by law.
Equality Im sure you just gave Blackwater a million dollar idea. :)
Posted 04/16/09 12:11 PM retornado30 Roosevelt, UT
Simple and articulate description of a real solution to a problem. The question about whether innocent fishermen would be blown out of the water by private companies was hilarious. The insinuation was that governments would never make those kinds of mistakes, ha!
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/letter+of+mark+and+reprisal
letter of marque
Licence or commission formerly granted by a government to a private person to fit out an armed ship or privateer to capture an enemy's ships and merchandise in time of war, or in reprisal for damage done.
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
Link to this page:
I love his comments. There is no bounty, but a reinforcement of safety. I also love the Pirate/9/11 hijacker comparison.
Posted 04/17/09 12:45 AM jjones12 West Des Moines, IA
@ Champion of Liberty-
Blackwater has since changed their name to "Xe" to avoid association with their tarnished reputation...and possibly in an attempt to make their company difficult to search for on the web. Although there's tons of articles noting the name change out there...
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