04-15-2009, 01:57 AM
Hey Christian, people don't get arrested and put on trial for the reasons they committed a crime, it is because they committed it. Motive may have an effect on the punishment phase, and sometimes on whether they are convicted.
Thousands of other people live in Somalia who have boats and they don't involve themselves with piracy. The whole population is pretty impoverished, by US/German/Western standards, yet some people don't seem to succumb to the temptation to extort money from the owners of commercial ships. Poverty alone is not the culprit here. I'd have to say the short answer is twofold: Greed and Opportunity. OK, an utter disrespect for commonly known international maritime law. Greed, Opportunity and Lawlessness.
*******
On another note, I really appreciate how all of us are handling this. It could become a closed thread, and we all know that. So keep on self-editing, and we can have a conversation here. Get testy and start namecalling, and it will be locked or removed, or both....
Thousands of other people live in Somalia who have boats and they don't involve themselves with piracy. The whole population is pretty impoverished, by US/German/Western standards, yet some people don't seem to succumb to the temptation to extort money from the owners of commercial ships. Poverty alone is not the culprit here. I'd have to say the short answer is twofold: Greed and Opportunity. OK, an utter disrespect for commonly known international maritime law. Greed, Opportunity and Lawlessness.
*******
On another note, I really appreciate how all of us are handling this. It could become a closed thread, and we all know that. So keep on self-editing, and we can have a conversation here. Get testy and start namecalling, and it will be locked or removed, or both....
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
