Deacon, please, I beg of you, no credit to Bush.
Just another dereliction of duty by the worst president ever.
Posted by Duckman GR at April 12, 2009 12:16 PMThis is excellent news.
Now, maybe, the nations of the world can take some positive steps to creative a legitimate national government in Somalia.
For a long-term solution, the nations of the world need to try to figure out a way to establish a legitimate national government in Somalia. If you visit wikipedia and search on "somalia" you can read about the long and very tangled and very complicated history of this area.
More recently,
The Bush gangster regime hired the Ethiopian government to invade Somalia and to try and destroy the Islamic Court Union back in 2006. We are always interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and always trying to stop any progressive movement or any form of good self-government. See the Wikipedia entry on the Islamic Court Union for more details. Apparently the Bush regime preferred anarchy in Somalia to muslim-run moderate form of government. What is the Obama Administration planning on doing to return a legitimate form of government. I doubt that sharia law would look kindly upon acts of piracy by anyone in Somalia.
Posted by james k. sayre at April 12, 2009 12:26 PMWe're smarter than the Fre-ench, we're smarter than the Fre-ench, etc, etc.
Posted by TIKI AL at April 12, 2009 12:58 PMThis morning, Newt tried his best to blast Obama on the Somali Pirate subject... these repuke bastards wanted the Captain dead for political gain, plain and simple.
Thank goodness it failed for them.
"sink all pirate boats coming out"...uh Deacon, I don't think these guys fly Skull and Crossbones flags like in the movies.
Posted by T2 at April 12, 2009 01:54 PMCareful, Deacon (and others), you're playing a familiar tune. America's attempts to run the world have not been markedly useful over the last century, have they?
To judge by past form, if the USA tried to interfere and set up a Somali government, they'd pick the wrong people to back.
By all means contain the pirates, if it can be done, but please don't start spreading freedom and democracy again.
Great News.
Just this morning before the recent turn of events, John King (aka village hack and Bush luving bloviating blowhard for CNN) was on this morning gushing about how this pirate hostage situation was going to be the defining make or break moment for Obama's presidency. Glad it turned out well....gee wonder what John King's going to say now.
I heard on CNN it was all the Easter prayers that accomplished the freeing of the good captain.
It is truly an Easter miracle that Jesus was successful despite the US Navy getting in his way.
Posted by TIKI AL at April 12, 2009 02:41 PMI heard something about toxic and radioactive waste dumping in the oceans off Somalia, had turned up various illnesses in Somalia. Also, that as other fisheries have declined due to industrial-scale overfishing that the industrial fishing fleet turned to traditional somali fishing waters and the catch for the local fishermen has fallen way off. I also heard that the piracy-as-profession is supported by a majority of Somali's who may feel that the West and industrial nations have done them no favors.
This is a side-effect of globalization. It is not as clear cut as one might think. I don't think parking a carrier in the area is a great idea. If we go that way, should we paint a series of targets at the waterline to distract the locals? Can you say "asymmetric warfare?" I knew you could.
Posted by mike at April 12, 2009 03:14 PMlink to the pirate story:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates-1225817.html
Also linked at Crooks and Liars
Posted by mike at April 12, 2009 03:22 PM"Somalia will remain a lawless country without the capability or desire to live up to international treaties, then they should be dealt with as a rogue, lawless regime the moment anyone departs from their shores."
Wasn't this also true of Iraq under Saddam?
Isn't this the rationale Bill Clinton gave when he bombed Iraq in 1998, and authorized regime change in Iraq (also in 1998)?
I believe in capital punishment like you folks. Death penalty to pirates. On the open seas avoids the hassles of prison camps and courts. If the war on terror needs to spread to the open sea and Somaliia, send in the fleet.
Posted by Dennis at April 12, 2009 08:35 PMThanks Deacon for the little praise for developing a plan and having it ready for the new CinC. Great result isn't it. Twice giving the "shoot to kill" authorizations. Quite a CinC we have for military action. Much more decisive than Jimmy Carter...Bravo President Obama!!!
Posted by peter at April 12, 2009 09:04 PMSeems that Peter and the other wingnuts are drawn to blood in the water just as much as sharks are.
Posted by joel dan walls at April 12, 2009 09:35 PMActually, Democrats are far more warmongering and racist than Republicans, as evidenced by :
Violence committed by Democrats :
Democrats have :
*Dropped atomic weapons on Hiroshina and Nagasaki
*Fought in the Korean War
*Invaded Vietnam
*Invaded Bosnia and Kosovo
*Imposed Oil for Food sanctions on Iraq, killing 500,000 children
*Attacked Saddam for his WMD programs in 1998.
Racism committed by Democrats :
1) Slavery, which Abe Lincoln stopped
2) Internment of Japanese by FDR
3) Robert Byrd, a KKK kleagle, is a cherished bigot in the Democratic party to this day.
4) George Wallace running as a Democrat for President as recently as 1976.
5) Strom Thurmond was a Democrat at the time of supporting segregation. When he saw the error of his ways, he switched to the GOP.
6) Extreme Democrat racism against Bobby Jindal to this day.
By comparison, the worst racism that a Republican has ever done is utter a word like 'macaca', which is not even an insult OR an English word.
apparently production at the puke denial of reality camps has been ramped up..where else do ass holes like macaca tom hatch from?
Posted by headxray at April 13, 2009 02:00 AMSaying Lincoln ended slavery is like saying George Bush nobly saved the Iraqis from Saddam. Lincoln made it quite clear his interest was in maintaining the Union, not doing anything (pro or con) about slavery.
Anyway, I don't think it's very useful trying to judge a political party on the basis of its deeds or policies a century and a half ago.
So those sharp-eyed sharpshooters peered through those tiny windows in the back of the lifeboat, had no trouble with reflections or the lifeboat bobbing in the water,could spot all three pirates, differentiate them from the hostage, determine he was in imminent danger, and make three kill shota. I don't know what really happened by I've heard enough "narratives" to recognize one.
Posted by Kevin at April 13, 2009 08:02 AMIn the "good old days" the pirates heads were cut off and hung from the bowsprits.
If over-fishing justifies piracy, than the unemployed should be allowed to rob banks.
If this were Somalia the dead pirates would be dragged thru Time Square ala "Blackhawk Down".
Our involvement in Vietnam started under the Eisenhower administration.
Although I am not a godbot, I ate too many chocolate bunnies yesterday. Damn you, Eostre, German fertility goddess!
Posted by TIKI AL at April 13, 2009 09:10 AMShorter Kevin; "Since I couldn't do it it's an obvious lie."
Posted by snark at April 13, 2009 10:54 AMMy only question - why did it take so long???
Posted by at April 13, 2009 01:58 PMheadxray (an appropriate name, BTW),
I see you cannot deny the points, which means you have admitted them. You moonbats belong to the party murder and racism, as proven by history.
"Saying Lincoln ended slavery is like saying George Bush nobly saved the Iraqis from Saddam. "
He did. But the decision to pass a resolution to oust Saddam was Clinton's, and Clinton proceeded to bomb Saddam in 1998 (but did not go further).
Posted by Tom at April 13, 2009 03:44 PMMcClatchy news is reporting the pirates were out of ammo. A relative of one of the pirates spoke to these men a few hours before the rescue and said they were scared and trying to persuade the Americans to let them go in return for the captain's release.
Is this what Kevin was pointing to?
Thank God we're not the French. Our guy's have skills to end this event with our brave captain unharmed. Bravo President Obama!
Posted by peter at April 13, 2009 03:47 PMawesome, the shit-fer-brains petey troll meets the macaca-fer-brains tom moron...petey.."our guys"? you have absolutely nothing in common with an American serviceman..any American serviceman..you apologize and rationalize those who oppose and subvert our constitution...in short the cult of scum, dead eye dick and his pet chimp...quit presuming yiou have anything reasoned or intelligent to share here..you're simply scum like your hereoes...
macaca Tom, you are not worth the time it takes to respond..nip your troll apprenticeship short as you obviously are in a class with shit head pete...that is NO class, no ideas, nothing remotely intelligent...
The "Left/Right" thing is blinding you guys. The real dichotomy is "Connected/Unconnected". Look at the new administrations unwillingness to confront the greatest assault on constitutional government there has ever been. The left wing was once relevant. It now exist to protect the Right's flank.
Posted by Kevin at April 13, 2009 07:05 PMOr Kevin, it's not an assault at all. Your last sentence does have some truth in it.
Posted by peter at April 13, 2009 08:13 PMso have you always supported the overthrow of our government shit-fer-brains pete? you fascists that hate this country should try a new place...say I-raq..oh and take dead eye and his pet chimp with you...
Posted by headxray at April 13, 2009 09:48 PM