Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Was the action against Somali pirates disproportionate?

Three pirates were killed to free one American. A fourth was arrested. Navy Seals had trained snipers on a destroyer targeting pirates with automatic weapons on a lifeboat. Was it a kill or overkill? Pirate Abdullah Lami sounded devastated, and vowed vengeance on America. The Pirate Street in  zara dheere (?) is up in arms and asking for quick action against the imperialists. 

On hindsight, was Obama's order of action against the pirates "disproportionate?" Will it not create more pirates?  

Scanning of news sources reveals that the pirates were disgruntled fishermen acting against multinational trawlers fishing in their territory. Apparently, some of the vigilante-types started conducting 'social audits' on high seas and ended up being pirates, to deliver 'social justice' mind well. As the pirates flourished, pirate booty was spent on building magnificent houses--one is reminded of the ramping of sq. footage of Teesta's house post post-Godhra.

Rather than gathering plaudits for a successful social revolution, at least three got bullets piercing their skulls. Neither Padmasri nor Sean McBride prize. Not even an editorial. 


2 comments:

kuttychathan said...

We, the majority of the readers who are disgusted with 'The Hindu' should boyocott the newspaper. If the circulation comes down significantly, the Kasturi family would wake up and throw out Ram, Malini and their chamchas.

Dirt Digger said...

Good one socal. The ultimate losers are the end consumers. Everyone else from the pirates to the shipping company to the news channels have some financial interest/gain in this.
The cost will have to be borne by the end consumer in terms of increased prices.