04-13-2009, 11:57 AM
Regarding pirates vs Americans, at some point you think people would learn that escalating tensions with America is never going to work in their favor. Even if you "beat us" (that is, we lose morale and go home) it's always at a high cost.
Ten bucks says that if the pirates capture and execute any Americans, we'll answer with Tomahawk missile strikes and a lot of big wig pirates will get their homes blown up.
Then we might get depressed about "civilian casualties" (aka "pirates who have had their guns taken away before photographers showed up") and leave, but it'll still end up as Pirates 3, Americans 326.
I think the international community has been content to pay the pirates precisely because they haven't been killing anyone. America has let the pirates be because they haven't been bothering Americans. The pirates should have left well enough alone. If they're smart, they'll keep capturing the French and ransoming them off and just leave America out of it. They need to talk a big game because they don't want other nations to get the big idea that fighting pirates would end piracy, but if they're smart, it's a bluff, and you will coincidentally not hear about any more American ships being attacked.
Ten bucks says that if the pirates capture and execute any Americans, we'll answer with Tomahawk missile strikes and a lot of big wig pirates will get their homes blown up.
Then we might get depressed about "civilian casualties" (aka "pirates who have had their guns taken away before photographers showed up") and leave, but it'll still end up as Pirates 3, Americans 326.
I think the international community has been content to pay the pirates precisely because they haven't been killing anyone. America has let the pirates be because they haven't been bothering Americans. The pirates should have left well enough alone. If they're smart, they'll keep capturing the French and ransoming them off and just leave America out of it. They need to talk a big game because they don't want other nations to get the big idea that fighting pirates would end piracy, but if they're smart, it's a bluff, and you will coincidentally not hear about any more American ships being attacked.