Johnny Depp & Privateers

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Ellen Birrell and her husband, Jim Hutchins, were stalwarts of Reading Liberally during its first 2-3 years of existence, whereupon they "pulled up stakes" the end of 2008 to sail the world on their yacht, Boldly Go.

They are in town for other matters but will attend our Aug 14th meeting.

Since Ellen and Jim still have so many friends in the area (for example, Ellen was on the Board of the Salt Lake County Democrats), it is respectfully requested that anyone planning to come on Aug 14th RSVP so we know whether to "kill the fatted calf" (i.e., provide anything more festive than our regular coffee/decaf with chocolate-chunk cookies and peanut butter cookies) and whether to request accommodations for more than 20.

Simply e-mail ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com with "I will attend Aug 14 (with guest(s) John Doe (and Jane Roe))."
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Pat
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Johnny Depp & Privateers

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It was amusing to see that Solutions reacted so promptly to my speculation about whether yacht owners are permitted to have on board firearms for self defense against pirates.

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The Case For Self-Defense Firearms At Sea

As can be seen from the Salt Lake Tribune description of the 10/16/2013 experience of Ellen and Jim at the hands of the Venezuelan pirates --

(1) the pirates, dissatisfied with the amount of cash (and other loot) that they could find, demanded more while putting a pistol in Jim’s mouth and pulling the trigger (the chamber was empty);

(2) Ellen, who is extremely attractive, was sleeping nude when the pirates arrived; and

(3) Ellen and Jim, when they were finally able to free themselves after the pirates left after 45 minutes of terror, found the galley had been doused with kerosene and a box of matches had been left nearby as if the pirates had neglected to torch the boat (and kill Ellen and Jim in the process of torching their yacht) in their hurry to flee the scene.

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Common-Sense Answer To My Original Speculation

If I had stopped to think for a moment before posting my comment speculating whether yacht owners are permitted to have on board firearms for self defense against pirates on the High Seas, the answer would have been obvious.

No nation on earth, including the Brits during Pax Brittannica and America during Pax Americana, has been able to afford a navy that is able to police the High Seas everywhere at all times.

Accordingly, there is a long tradition of privateers -- ships owned & commanded by private entrepreneurs which/who are licensed by a particular government to capture/sink particular classes of vessels in return for the booty (in the case of capture) or a reward (in the case of sinking).

The licenses are often directed against vessels of another country with which the licensing government is at war. Which effectively makes the vessels an extension of the Navy of the licensing government without the expense of actually expanding its official Navy. Though the privateers are not under the command of the Navy of the licensing government and need only pay attention to any conditions specified in the license itself.

The private entrepreneurs are/were also often granted licenses to capture/sink pirate vessels. Once again, the aim was to effectively expand the Navy of the licensing government without the expense of actually expanding its official Navy.

Accordingly, if I had stopped to think about the efforts of various governments over the course of history to provide protection on the High Seas from outlaws (aka pirates) without the expense of an omnipresent Navy, it would have been obvious that anyone aboard a lawful vessel that encounters outlaws (aka pirates) in a situation where there is no protection from a Navy or a Privateer, would have the right to self defense.

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US Navy As “Policeman Of The World”

When considering these issues, it is easy to overlook the facts that --

1. since World War II the U.S. Navy has tried to perform the role of Policeman Of The World for the entire 75% of the world’s surface covered by oceans, and

2. since the U.S. Navy has been so successful in performing this role, it is shocking when modern-day pirates (such as those from Somalia during the last decade) have been successful.

Questions =

1. Why should the United States have to pay for a Navy large enough to perform the role of Policeman Of The World in terms of protecting everyone’s shipping, particularly oil & gas???

2. In other words, why shouldn’t the U.S. be able to pay for only enough nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, etc., to protect our own interests and let everyone else contribute to a much larger Policeman-Of-The-World Force if they think one is needed???

3. Why does Hollywood constantly romanticize outlaws/pirates???

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Johnny Depp & Hollywood

The Pirates-Of-The-Caribbean movie series is probably the most prominent modern Hollywood Franchise for romanticizing outlaws/pirates.

Especially since they are something to which we can take our kids as “family movies”!!!

After all, we were brought up on Bonnie And Clyde (1967) and Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), so we know that it is never too early to indoctrinate our children with a pervasive disrespect for the law and a pervasive disrespect for civil society!!!

No wonder Hollywood panders to our lawless nature by constantly providing lawless heroes/heroines for our own entertainment and for brain washing our children!!!

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