Comments on: Modern Pirates Making Big Bucks: $150 Million In 12 Months http://themoderatevoice.com/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:27:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: JSpencer http://themoderatevoice.com/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/comment-page-1/#comment-164989 JSpencer Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:41:30 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/africa/somalia/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/#comment-164989 Looks like India, who has been a growing military power, may use the pirates as training exercises. Too bad for the pirates, but good practice for India. Looks like India, who has been a growing military power, may use the pirates as training exercises. Too bad for the pirates, but good practice for India.

]]> By: pacatrue http://themoderatevoice.com/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/comment-page-1/#comment-164979 pacatrue Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:25:23 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/africa/somalia/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/#comment-164979 On the other hand, think of how huge $150 million is in Somalia. It's probably above 1% of the GDP. On the other hand, think of how huge $150 million is in Somalia. It's probably above 1% of the GDP.

]]> By: Dave_Schuler http://themoderatevoice.com/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/comment-page-1/#comment-164977 Dave_Schuler Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:22:18 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/places/africa/somalia/24523/modern-pirates-making-big-bucks-150-million-in-12-months/#comment-164977 Regardless of how large a sum $150 million sounds to ordinary folk like you and me, it's small potatoes compared to what it would cost for the U. S. Navy, say, to perform escort duty for shipping through the Gulf of Aden if we had the ships to do it with which we don't. Another suggestion that's been put forward for a military solution to the piracy problem off the Horn of Africa has been to use armed RQ-4 unmanned aerial vehicles to perform surveillance.<br><br>By my calculation it would take something like 20 of these, which are being produced at about the rate of one per month and shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan as fast as they can be produced. At $35 million a pop, not including defraying the costs of development, it's still not a cost effective approach to the problem.<br><br>The only real practical solution to piracy off the coast of Somalia is a functioning government in Somalia, something that hasn't been the case since 1991. How that can be achieved is anybody's guess. Until somebody figures out the combination I suspect that avoidance will be the solution of choice. That means avoiding the Suez Canal for the longer, costlier trip around the Cape of Good Hope. <br><br>One way or another the costs will be reflected in increasing fuel prices and prices of things that use petroleum in their production process. Regardless of how large a sum $150 million sounds to ordinary folk like you and me, it's small potatoes compared to what it would cost for the U. S. Navy, say, to perform escort duty for shipping through the Gulf of Aden if we had the ships to do it with which we don't. Another suggestion that's been put forward for a military solution to the piracy problem off the Horn of Africa has been to use armed RQ-4 unmanned aerial vehicles to perform surveillance.

By my calculation it would take something like 20 of these, which are being produced at about the rate of one per month and shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan as fast as they can be produced. At $35 million a pop, not including defraying the costs of development, it's still not a cost effective approach to the problem.

The only real practical solution to piracy off the coast of Somalia is a functioning government in Somalia, something that hasn't been the case since 1991. How that can be achieved is anybody's guess. Until somebody figures out the combination I suspect that avoidance will be the solution of choice. That means avoiding the Suez Canal for the longer, costlier trip around the Cape of Good Hope.

One way or another the costs will be reflected in increasing fuel prices and prices of things that use petroleum in their production process.

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