Romancing the PIRATE

Marines storming a Barbary coast fortress

Where, oh where is a Stephen Decatur Doppelgaenger

when you need him to stop Somali Piracy?

Historically, paying ransom never TRULY solved the problem.

Jefferson, yes, THAT president, established a US Navy to deal with the Barbary Coast Pirates.

And ultimately the US Navy  under Stephen Decatur WAS successful in stemming the established piracy along the Mediterranean Coast which dates back to the times of the Ottoman Empire.

The pirate BARBAROSSA was most infamous of all Turkish pirates.  Then pirates captured ships for their loads, their people which were either used as galley slaves, sold into slavery and women, especially, sold into harems of ottoman and other rulers. One could ransom them and many did!

Piracy also flourished elsewhere, in the Caribbean, around Florida, the China seas.

And has been the inspiration for numerous movies

musicals (The Pirates of Penzance),

ballets,



Even a beer



Novels, Fashions, Games,  parties and songs. 

Even today there is piracy in China  
and, of course,  Somalia, again much in the news, due to the deaths of 4 on a yacht sailing around the oceans to distribute bibles, as we are told by the media, after being captured and before the US Navy could save them.

And elsewhere: the earthquake in New Zealand.

Poignant photo in my opinion!

And there there is this just to end on a wry note: what in the heck are they thinking...????

http://www.afrik-news.com/article18831.html