Sunday, April 12, 2009
You are being lied to about pirates
Pirates have never been quite who we think they are. In the “golden age of piracy” - from 1650 to 1730 - the idea of the pirate as the senseless, savage thief that lingers today was created by the British government in a great propaganda heave. Many ordinary people believed it was false: Pirates were often rescued from the gallows by supportive crowds. Why? What did they see that we can’t?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yes, but some don't or refuse to recognize propaganda, they swallow it like candy. It conveniently fits the image (the propaganda) that they embrace because of their prejudicial bent - they think they are "balanced" repeating falsehoods, that they do not even recognize as such because of their ignorance. This happens all over Africa, as people accuse them of being "backwards, repressive, savages, in need of liberation, etc."
ReplyDeleteAll the while the propaganda machine of world proportions churns on - they can even get those who pose as great humanitarians to agree with the lies. People have no idea how they are manipulated and lied to, some of the propaganda having been taught in institutions and echoed by the gutter and lazy press.
ReplyDeleteSOME TRUTH?
ReplyDeleteCapt. Phillips has been rescued.
ReplyDelete"Quinn told reporters the experience was "terrifying and exciting at the same time." Asked what he thought of the pirates who seized the boat, Quinn said: "They're just hungry."
ReplyDeletehttp://angryarab.blogspot.com/2009/04/hungry.html
Whoops, the pirates are now dead and/or captured.
ReplyDeleteWell vza, you put yourself out 300 miles from shore in a small dingy with no food, hunger is likely to ensue. No surprise there.
Some will always believe its cool when those of lesser means violently rob and steal from those of greater means.
And by the way, just because SOMEBODY is doing you wrong doesnt mean its OK to do more wrong to random others. I mean seriously, people.
Clearly, Im not among those who think piracy is cool.
I feel alot of sympathy for those pirates. They have all the rich resources from there lands stolen so you can eat cheap fish at fancy restuarants in the West. All they want to do is feed there families I cant condemn the poor people when they get ignored and oppressed by all the people. They are hungry, their children are hungry, they had to do something.
ReplyDelete"Clearly, Im not among those who think piracy is cool." fleming
ReplyDeleteNo fleming, we have not even considered you among the "thinking" at all.
Hugo Chavez, I mean Robert Reich said:
ReplyDeleteSome of the big banks will claim to be profitable, but don't bank on it. Neither they nor anyone else knows what their assets are really worth. Besides, the big banks are sitting on over $500 billion over taxpayer equity and loans. Who knows how they're calculating profits? Most importantly, there's still a yawning gap between the economy's productive capacity and what it's now producing, and absolutely nothing will turn the economy around until that gap begins to close.
I spent the better part of an hour yesterday evening debating Larry Kudlow on his CNBC program, along with Arthur Laffer and two other financial analysts, all of whom were sure that the stock market had hit bottom and was now poised for a major recovery. I admire cockeyed optimism, and I understand why Wall Street and its spokespeople want to see a return of the bull market. Hell, everyone with a stock portfolio wants to see it grow again. But wishing for something is different from getting it. And cockeyed optimism can wreak enormous damage on an economy. Haven't we already learned this?
I don't understand the popularity of pirates. Is it right and moral to randomly steal from random people?
ReplyDeleteIs it right that Chinese, Indian, American, Indonesian, Brazilian, Russian, South Korean, and ships from many scores of other countries are being attacked?
What have we come too?
"They have all the rich resources from there lands stolen" Proof?
"so you can eat cheap fish at fancy restuarants in the West." Is this really about fishing rights in international waters? International waters don't belong to specific countries.
"All they want to do is feed there families I cant condemn the poor people when they get ignored and oppressed by all the people. They are hungry, their children are hungry, they had to do something." These organized crime mafias do not serve the poor! Where in the world do you get this stuff.
Let me guess, all of you support the violent organized crime in Russia, China, Mumbai (depicted in Slumdog Millionaire), and Mexico? All of you supported the Mafia? What have we come too?
Bush's hoof-print is on this, too:
ReplyDeleteYears of violence, neglect and misguided policies have left Somalia one of the most dangerous countries and a breeding ground for the pirates attacking one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Today the northeast area of the country, including Puntland, has been carved up by warlords who finance themselves by drug and gun running. This is also the heartland of the pirates, whose main backers are linked to the Western-backed government. Radical Islamists control much of the south, including the key port of Kismayo and the porous border area with Kenya, a staunch Western ally.
This has realised a Western nightmare, which was supposed to have been destroyed by Ethiopia’s American-backed invasion of Somalia two years ago in support of a puppet government created by the international community. That alliance spanned the spectrum from extreme radicals to moderate, devout Muslims. The latter were in charge.
Everyone – except Pentagon planners, it seems – knew that Somalia had never proved fertile territory for Saudi-style radical Islam. However, indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas by Ethiopia, Somalia’s historic enemy, with huge casualties, put an end to that. The Islamists were driven out, the moderates went into exile and the hardliners took control of the south with a popular powerbase beyond their wildest dreams.
Ever seen the movie Black Hawk Down? True story based on events....that took place during the Clinton years. Whoops! HAHAH
ReplyDeleteBut as usual Marcatu, you blame Bush for everything "bad". Does it make you feel better when all the ills of the world can be made to be the result of a singular scapegoat? Does it make you hold your head up with pride to KNOW that without those "meddling kids" (aka the USA) the downtrodden of the world would have by now conquered cancer, put men on Mars and provided universal health care??? Oh yes, if not for Bush, Somalia would be paradise on earth...
Good god, you are beyond riduiculous. Somalia has been a lawless shithole for many years. Nothing the USA has done or will do will change it one way or another.
Kill the pirates until there is no more piracey. It worked 150 years ago, it should work again.