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(warning: full-on snark post follows)
Frnak Ethel wrote: "Since piracy really ended centuries ago, my main concern when encountering pirates would be how to get back to my own time."
I know it was a joke about pirates. He needed to say it as the setup to the punch line. But it struck me totally wrong, mainly in that Rush Limbaugh ‘any statement I pull out of my butt instantly becomes a fact’ kinda way.
Pirates are not just from hundreds of years ago. Not only does piracy still happen, but today’s pirates are infinitely more ruthless and bloodthirsty than our romantic image of them. Usually, a meeting with a modern pirate happens only once, because they automatically kill the crews of the ships they hijack. On rare occasions the passengers or crew (judged worth the trouble) may be sold to other groups interested in ransoming hostages. It’s an ongoing problem, and it’s serious in parts of the world.
Posted by Ted at September 19, 2003 04:25 PMHow big, really, is the threat of modern day piracy? How likely is one, out sailing, to come up against one, and are there tell-tale signs to make one suspicious in advance?
Posted by: Charlie Lindley at December 9, 2003 10:19 AMPirates are cool, yo.
But you know what's cooler? Our history day project...which is about pirates.
It got to county, yo.
Too bad the modern pirates don't have dread-locks and eyepatches anymore... damn.