# The case for/against attacking pirate bases in Somalia

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-case-for-against-attacking-pirate-bases-in-somalia/492867>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 12, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-case-for-against-attacking-pirate-bases-in-somalia/492867 "2009-04-12T18:21:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 53

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-case-for-against-attacking-pirate-bases-in-somalia/492867/53 "2009-04-13T12:00:04Z")

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> [@Mighty\_Girl](#):
>
> If you kill enough people all of humanity’s problems could be solved.
> 
> I like that approach, how about you start solving your own problems at home first. :dubious:
> 
> What is up with some of you people?

To be fair, I think he is saying that trying to stop the piracy by military force would require a massacre of comparable magnitude, and/or occupying Somalia. He said over in[this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=513915) thread ( post 18 ) :

> [@The Pirate's story](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pirates-story/492910/18):
>
> I’m a pretty law and order kind of guy, but I don’t view these modern day pirates as the “next great evil.” They’re a cost of doing business, piracy has always been a cost of doing business at sea, period.
> 
> \< snip \>
> 
> I’m not saying we ignore the tried and true tools to use against pirates (engaging them, stopping them, and prosecuting them whenever possible) but this isn’t a problem that requires an invasion by any means.
> 
> Lets also keep in mind the alternative, the only way the Barbary Pirates were ever truly stopped is when France invaded and killed a _third_ of the population (of course many of those killed were not pirates.) I don’t see us going that route in the 21st century.

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