http://foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584932,00.html
What HO me lads, raise the fighting flag, grab your cutlass and be ready to engage.
Is there anyone who as a child did not play Pirate, did not see these men of long ago as romantic and brave.? Even the peg legged Captain with that darn parrot and an eye patch and the sound of ticking following the ship could not take away from the imaginations of kids about fun on the high seas.
Today I am sure it is a kick up in Adelina to capture a REAL pirate ship.
I was reading a book about the Marines and now know why they are called Leather Necks. It is all spelled out in the Marine Anthem. Tripoli, the pirate battles ,amazing.
I have heard the counter argument that these Pirates are young teenagers, poor and starving in their country. Some say they have no choice, but I have not heard of anyone being Shanghaied. Just history repeating itself, most of the old time Pirates that were ours, were very young poor, hungry kids that went to make their fortunes. Only difference was those kids were ours, not to mention there were 2 well known and feared female Captains of those late times.
ON the other hand I wonder about the clothing and makeup, wigs and scented hankies the worse of the worse wore ashore. But I have a theory about those scented hankies. After months at sea with nothing but the clean scent of of the sea and wind, coming ashore to a town with the smells of outhouses, wood smoke and animal feces in the streets, the shore line at low tide, perhaps they like a bride in the 1800's needed a hand full of flowers to keep the smell of the groom away.
Were I to be aboard a ship of any country told to go out and destroy a Pirate ship, darn that would be exciting. Absolutely no days at sea that are boring or routine, every minute on alert. Then the heart stopping call to man the guns.
The chase, no way to know if they in fact can get away, no way to know who is Skipper of the Pirate ship, we know we have them out gunned but we have no idea of the skill in seamanship their Captain has.
This has become a war of all time before the Nukes and Missiles and aircraft came into play. These Pirates are interesting, they are following the tradition of any seagoing comunity did a couple hundred years ago.
