Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Why does the "international" community always side against self-sufficiency?

I just read this news story- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_re_af/pi... - about the Maersk Alabama successfully repelling another Pirate attack with onboard security. If you read the article, one of the spokespeople for the "international" maritime community said that the community is still "solidly" against ships arming themselves with private security. Some of his reasonings are as follows. Private security personnel do not have "maritime" experience or training, and that they believe that governments should protect their trade vessels on the open seas with naval escorts. Does anyone else here think these reasonings are absurd, particularly in the case of private security personnel not being "sailors". I suppose it would also follow that cruise ships should no longer allow passengers aboard their ships unless they have "maritime" experience. Also why should weapons of war be dragged out of harbor to do police work? Isn't that like having the army use a tank to catch a speeder on the freeway? Anyone else think these are just lame excuses, so the rest of the international community doesn't have to actually hand out any unnecessary freedom to their citizens, particularly if it involves defending themselves. After all, we all know how socialists and liberals feel about people doing things for themselves without a government stamp of approval.

Update:

Ok lunatic your point on "total" self sufficiency was well taken, however, if you read the news story, it is made clear that the US is essentially going it alone as far as allowing their merchant vessels to arm themselves. Nobody is going to stop an American ship from docking at port, armed or not, the best they can do is not allow the armed security from leaving the ship. Of course nobody can be completely self sufficient. All we are talking about is allowing people to provide for their own defense, which the armed American ships seem to be doing quite well. You would think the rest of the world would follow a good lead. This piracy problem could become a thing of the past overnight if the rest of the world didn't force their merchants to be sitting ducks.

1 Answer

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I was under the impression that cargo ships can't have their own security force because almost all ports the ships dock in prohibit armed vessels from doing so.

    As far as liberals in the US and most of the international community not believing in self sufficiency, that could be because it is a myth. In the world of today, there is no way to survive, much less prosper being completely independent from the rest of the world. To believe that the US could get along just fine all by itself is delusional at best.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.