Comments on: The World as It Is http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:32:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Maritime Monday 157 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-355550 Maritime Monday 157 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:35:58 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-355550 [...] Lex has coverage of the multiple warnings the French sailing yacht received not to sail through the Gulf of Aden. As [...] [...] Lex has coverage of the multiple warnings the French sailing yacht received not to sail through the Gulf of Aden. As [...]

]]> By: Vincent http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-355065 Vincent Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:09:02 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-355065 Things that won\'t be reported here or in the right wing press. The crew that retook the hijacked Maersk Alabama belongs to Seafarers International Union (ie they\'re unionists). The crew members of the Maersk Alabama received anti-piracy training from (where else?) their union. Things that won\’t be reported here or in the right wing press. The crew that retook the hijacked Maersk Alabama belongs to Seafarers International Union (ie they\’re unionists). The crew members of the Maersk Alabama received anti-piracy training from (where else?) their union.

]]> By: Wilko http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-354874 Wilko Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:10:28 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-354874 The Barbary Pirates (along with French Privateers) were the reason the U.S. Navy had it's raison d'etre and built the original Six Frigates. Fighting piracy is how it all began, with the swashbuckling exploits of Steven Decatur (Read Six Frigates-Ian Toll). It was no holds barred compared to the current ROE's. We tried to buy off the Dey of Algiers and appeasement didn't work. History repeats and ir seems we walks softly and carry no stick. Today, despite warships in the area, pirates are still running amok, and have captured an Italian ship. After pirates attacked a U.S. flagged ship it legitimized deadly force. As Asian Badger said: Send in the SEALS. Bring out the "big stick". The Barbary Pirates (along with French Privateers) were the reason the U.S. Navy had it’s raison d’etre and built the original Six Frigates. Fighting piracy is how it all began, with the swashbuckling exploits of Steven Decatur (Read Six Frigates-Ian Toll). It was no holds barred compared to the current ROE’s. We tried to buy off the Dey of Algiers and appeasement didn’t work. History repeats and ir seems we walks softly and carry no stick.
Today, despite warships in the area, pirates are still running amok, and have captured an Italian ship. After pirates attacked a U.S. flagged ship it legitimized deadly force. As Asian Badger said: Send in the SEALS. Bring out the “big stick”.

]]> By: Marianne Matthews http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-354859 Marianne Matthews Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:20:28 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-354859 What sort of pride can we take in our country's "protection" of its citizens, when even the French, who have oft times irritated us diplomatically [sorry Lex and other French ancestried folks] have the stones to send in commandos and rescue the hijacked sailboat in the Gulf of Aden. Sacre Bleu! And we can't rescue the brave captain of a very large American-flagged ship and bring an end to this mess. We look like dopes here. We have a splendid Navy, with three ships on site right now, great numbers of brave and skilled warriors and top-flight technology ready to go. And Washington is sitting on its thumbs. Look, idiots in charge of our government. You solve a crisis one step at a time. You're all kvetching about the second or third steps along the way before you tackle the first. First, you suit up our SEALs and send them underwater to the lifeboat, drill holes in the bottom of it and sink it, snaffling off the pirates as they come out, saving our brave captain of the Alabama and carrying him back to the nearest warship. That solves the immediate crisis, and frees our forces to do whatever your little hearts would desire. If you can figure it out. Come on now, guys. Cowboy up, for God's sake. And for Captain Phillips' sake. And while you're at it, Mr. Obama, read a little American history. You are strangely uninformed about it. Now you're trying to don the mantle of Teddy Roosevelt. Why don't you Google 'Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead.'' It's a start anyway. Marianne, who is seriously disillusioned here What sort of pride can we take in our country’s “protection” of its citizens, when even the French, who have oft times irritated us diplomatically [sorry Lex and other French ancestried folks] have the stones to send in commandos and rescue the hijacked sailboat in the Gulf of Aden. Sacre Bleu! And we can’t rescue the brave captain of a very large American-flagged ship and bring an end to this mess.

We look like dopes here. We have a splendid Navy, with three ships on site right now, great numbers of brave and skilled warriors and top-flight technology ready to go. And Washington is sitting on its thumbs.

Look, idiots in charge of our government. You solve a crisis one step at a time. You’re all kvetching about the second or third steps along the way before you tackle the first. First, you suit up our SEALs and send them underwater to the lifeboat, drill holes in the bottom of it and sink it, snaffling off the pirates as they come out, saving our brave captain of the Alabama and carrying him back to the nearest warship. That solves the immediate crisis, and frees our forces to do whatever your little hearts would desire. If you can figure it out.

Come on now, guys. Cowboy up, for God’s sake. And for Captain Phillips’ sake. And while you’re at it, Mr. Obama, read a little American history. You are strangely uninformed about it. Now you’re trying to don the mantle of Teddy Roosevelt. Why don’t you Google ‘Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead.” It’s a start anyway.

Marianne, who is seriously disillusioned here

]]> By: TwoFiveZulu http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-354844 TwoFiveZulu Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:37:08 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-354844 "So what’s the problem here? Besides 0bama, I mean." I'd bet anything you'd like to put up that there are ROE's in play that take the tactical decisions away from the on-scene guys. They likely have to ask permission to shoot (or anything else for that matter) from two or three steps up the chain. If that weren't true, they would have lit that lifeboat up like a Roman Candle when the Captain jumped off,but it probably takes 20-30 minutes to get permission to do the obvious. “So what’s the problem here? Besides 0bama, I mean.”

I’d bet anything you’d like to put up that there are ROE’s in play that take the tactical decisions away from the on-scene guys. They likely have to ask permission to shoot (or anything else for that matter) from two or three steps up the chain. If that weren’t true, they would have lit that lifeboat up like a Roman Candle when the Captain jumped off,but it probably takes 20-30 minutes to get permission to do the obvious.

]]> By: Advokaat http://www.neptunuslex.com/2009/04/10/the-world-as-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-354765 Advokaat Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:30:55 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/?p=8887#comment-354765 There is a certain sort of naivete that goes along with elitist thinking - especially those who are liberal-minded elitists. They seem to believe that, "I would never hurt anyone so why would anyone ever want to hurt me?" I have heard these same types espouse "talking" with the Taliban and its ilk - "We have to sit down with these people and talk to them to understand them in order to have peace with them." What those people fail to realize was well-summed up by Max Damage. There are forces in this world that can and will kill you, if you give them the chance. I'm reminded of a Western movie where the hero Conagher shot a young "bad guy" in the stomach and the wounded man asked for his help, which would have required Conagher to get out from cover and exponse him to fire from the man's comrades. Conagher told the young man that he was "gut-shot" and there was nothing anybody could do for him. The wounded man said, "You're a hard man, Conagher." Conagher's reply? - "It's a hard world, kid." There is a certain sort of naivete that goes along with elitist thinking – especially those who are liberal-minded elitists. They seem to believe that, “I would never hurt anyone so why would anyone ever want to hurt me?”

I have heard these same types espouse “talking” with the Taliban and its ilk – “We have to sit down with these people and talk to them to understand them in order to have peace with them.”

What those people fail to realize was well-summed up by Max Damage. There are forces in this world that can and will kill you, if you give them the chance.

I’m reminded of a Western movie where the hero Conagher shot a young “bad guy” in the stomach and the wounded man asked for his help, which would have required Conagher to get out from cover and exponse him to fire from the man’s comrades.

Conagher told the young man that he was “gut-shot” and there was nothing anybody could do for him.

The wounded man said, “You’re a hard man, Conagher.”

Conagher’s reply? – “It’s a hard world, kid.”

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