Real Piracy

Honestmonkey wants to congratulate the Navy for their handling of the hostage crisis with the Captain Phillips of the Maersk ship. This was, in HM’s opinion, the only way for it to be handled. You cannot, under any circumstances, negotiate with terrorists or real pirates or hijackers. HM has always thought that nothing anyone says during “negotiations” is valid. That is, you can promise them anything, and then arrest them without following through on any of what you said. It is basically the same as duress, and no contracts made under duress are valid. Hijackers and terrorists need to know that the only thing they are going to get is pain and death.

HM has always thought that in the unlikely event that he is kidnapped, he should be considered dead. No negotiation should be done for his “safe return”. Kill the kidnappers, and if HM should happen to be rescued, well, that’s a bonus.