Ron Paul is back to his old self:
Ron Paul is now suggesting what he, I guess, thinks is a libertarian solution to the growing piracy problem. Have Congress get into the idea of issuing “letters of marque and reprisal,” which as Paul notes is actually a power expressly granted in the US constitution.
What a maroon.
tx2vadem
Dumb idea, but important issue. There are so many problems in the world. We need to address the political situation in Somalia. If they aren’t a basketcase, they can police their own territory effectively. Plus, Somalia is the new frontier for Al Queda or so NPR has told me.
Maybe we can get NATO to do this? Higher freight insurance are going to be born mostly by Europe. The War Risk Insurance is probably skyrocketing as well. Landed costs at European refineries is probably going to be much higher since they take a good deal of crude from the Mideast. Sucks to be a refiner in Europe, doubtful they can pass on those costs with demand so weak.
Brad
I get the feeling this Ron Paul guy was born in entirely the wrong century. Fortunately, the world has moved on, well past his bizarre brand of paleoconservatism.
tx2vadem
Brad, not all of the world. There is still the district in Texas he keeps getting elected in every year.
Silence Dogood
Dude I will totally fly over to the Gulf of Aden and rig out and crew a 28-foot cabin cruiser with with mounted small arms as privateers so I can have the chance to sieze and condemn leaky roach-infested pirate skiffs. At a market value of $200 per skiff, assuming I capture one pirate boat per week, I’d be able to recoup the cost of putting together the expedition after only…many, many years.
Some of the brighter strategic thinkers in this country are starting to develop rational strategies for dealing with piracy in Somalia long term. Short term we just need to protect our own maritime interests so people like Ron Paul don’tfeel compelled to put forward competing stupid ideas as political fodder.
It’s not like stupid ideas haven’t bested out rational long-term strategies in the past due to political grandstanding. See: Iraq.