Now here's a Ron Paul proposal I can back -- commissioning privateers to deal with the Somali pirates.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and a growing number of national security experts are calling on Congress to consider using letters of marque and reprisal, a power written into the Constitution that allows the United States to hire private citizens to keep international waters safe.

Used heavily during the Revolution and the War of 1812, letters of marque serve as official warrants from the government, allowing privateers to seize or destroy enemies, their loot and their vessels in exchange for bounty money.
The letters also require would-be thrill seekers to post a bond promising to abide by international rules of war.

In a YouTube video earlier this week, Paul suggested lawmakers consider issuing letters, which could relieve American naval ships from being the nation’s primary pirate responders — a free-market solution to make the high seas safer for cargo ships.

Frankly, it sounds like a great idea to me. And best of all, it would give incentive to shipping lines to arm their crews – after all, they would get a piece of the action after having been officially authorized to act in their own defense.

There was a time, my friends, when Americans would defend themselves when confronted by evil. This is an opportunity to do so again, in the best tradition of the United States.

Posted by: Greg at 10:27 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 246 words, total size 2 kb.