# Don't fire on a NATO warship **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797 "2012-10-25T03:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/21 "2012-10-26T13:49:51Z")
Normally, when any person/group/ animal is critcised someone comes along and defends them. I have not seen anyone on this board defend Somali pirates. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/22 "2012-10-26T14:02:23Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Normally, when any person/group/ animal is critcised someone comes along and defends them. > > I have not seen anyone on this board defend Somali pirates. Check some old threads. From 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/23 "2012-10-26T14:06:05Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Normally, when any person/group/ animal is critcised someone comes along and defends them. > > I have not seen anyone on this board defend Somali pirates. OK, then… The Somali fishermen took to piracy because foreign fishing fleets decimated their fishing grounds and they were unable to survive. So they turned to piracy. I think they originally had a legitimate complaint. But now it seems piracy has become not a survival strategy and instead a cottage industry. As such, I have little sympathy for them. Seventeen-year-old kids getting caught up in the adventure without understanding the consequences get a little, and the original grievance of foreign fleets robbing them of their livelihood is still valid; but killing pleasure sailors and others is not the way to protest. Thus, they deserve what they get if they’re blown out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/24 "2012-10-26T15:04:48Z")
I prefer the Russian approach of simply sinking their ships (with the pirates in them) and then sailing away without bothering to pick up survivors for prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/25 "2012-10-28T04:25:19Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Apparently the dhow was sunk by the boarding party. Wonder what their “rigid hulled” boat was? That description makes it sound like a slightly bigger Zodiac, but I’m guessing it was a cutter or pretty big patrol boat. Probably some version of [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigid-hulled_inflatable_boat) or [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigid_Raider). Some versions can be quite big. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/26 "2012-10-29T20:57:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > OK, then… The Somali fishermen took to piracy because foreign fishing fleets decimated their fishing grounds and they were unable to survive. So they turned to piracy. I think they originally had a legitimate complaint. > > But now it seems piracy has become not a survival strategy and instead a cottage industry. As such, I have little sympathy for them. Seventeen-year-old kids getting caught up in the adventure without understanding the consequences get a little, and the original grievance of foreign fleets robbing them of their livelihood is still valid; but killing pleasure sailors and others is not the way to protest. Thus, they deserve what they get if they’re blown out of the water. So if a man loses his job and can’t feed his family, would you think it legitimate for him to go out and murder an innocent third party so that he could steal their money ? Or does it only become wrong when he starts making a comfortable living out of it ? ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/27 "2012-10-29T22:18:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > OK, then… The Somali fishermen took to piracy because foreign fishing fleets decimated their fishing grounds and they were unable to survive. So they turned to piracy. I think they originally had a legitimate complaint. > > But now it seems piracy has become not a survival strategy and instead a cottage industry. As such, I have little sympathy for them. Seventeen-year-old kids getting caught up in the adventure without understanding the consequences get a little, and the original grievance of foreign fleets robbing them of their livelihood is still valid; but killing pleasure sailors and others is not the way to protest. Thus, they deserve what they get if they’re blown out of the water. Actually the foreign fishing fleets have basically abandoned the area (for obvious reasons), and Somali fish grounds have returned. At this point, it’s about making easy money versus making hard money. cite: [http://maritime-connector.com/news/environment-and-technology/somali-pirates-unintentionally-help-to-improve-marine-life-in-area/](http://maritime-connector.com/news/environment-and-technology/somali-pirates-unintentionally-help-to-improve-marine-life-in-area/) Regards, -Bouncer- ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/28 "2012-10-29T22:38:56Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Damn, you’re cruel! Just release them unharmed. > > In Antarctica. Naked. \*Naked in Antarctica - I’m gonna write a book with that title. Or at least a short story. Probably a very short story what with shrinkage and all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797/29 "2012-10-30T03:33:38Z")
> [@Bouncer](#): > > At this point, it’s about making easy money versus making hard money. That’s what I said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fire-on-a-nato-warship/638797.md?page=1)