Yesterday a Greek-flagged tanker was almost hijacked by Somali pirates. With the help of a Dutch naval frigate, however, the attack was beaten off. The frigate than followed the pirates to their mother ship, a previously hijacked fishing vessel with a crew of twenty. These twenty captives were freed. Then the Dutch let the pirates go.

Today pirates tried to hijack a Norwegian tanker and were beaten off by a NATO naval craft. It followed, captured the pirates, and let them go.

Let them go? Again? Sure. Why not?

It’s not as if piracy is a big deal. Yes, it’s a form of armed robbery. And yes, in Somali waters it also features kidnapping. And yes, in the pirates quest for some ransom a few ships on the high seas have been shot up a bit. But maybe people around the world should stop anguishing about this. Indeed, maybe what’s happening on the seas is a lesson we should apply on land.

Think of the benefits in doing to armed robbers and kidnappers here what most nations are now doing to Somali pirates. Few if any victims would be killed or even hurt if we just gave the thieves and kidnappers the money they demanded. In these tough economic times we could also save a packet on currently bloated police forces.

In the name of fairness we might also see piracy the way some Somalis (and a lot of the world’s most compassionate thinkers) do. Just as Somali pirates are alleged to have been driven to their present occupation by illegal foreign fishing off their coast, most armed robbers and kidnappers on land come from poor surroundings, too. Everyone is a victim here, right? Why should only some of these victims be punished?

I’m not suggesting nothing should be done about Somali piracy. Heck, just yesterday, Secretary of State Clinton said some pretty harsh things about the practice. There are even reports she made shame-shame motions while speaking, a powerful expression of disapproval that must have made the pirates feel just awful.

In recent weeks some very nasty ideas have been put forth about stopping piracy in this part of the world. They include arming merchant ships, dramatically increasing naval power in the area, even going after the pirates and killing those who don’t stop their current mode of making a living. Darn nasty stuff.

I have a better solution. On land and sea, let’s all join hands and promise to live together in peace and harmony like the birds and the flowers. Let’s ignore armed criminality on land as we largely now do at sea. Let’s talk as if talk really might solve the problem. And if it doesn’t, let’s pretend the same kind of thing won’t spring up in many other parts of an increasingly impoverished world.

Maybe when confronting piracy, all we really need is love.