Posted by
peripheral on Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:19:00 AM
From My Perspective - - -
The NY Times posted an article on January 28th: Piracy At Sea. It
refers to both Historic and current Piracy off the coasts of Somalia.
The article includes: “There have been sea-going pirates throughout
history - from plundering Vikings to 17th-century raiders who pillaged
Spanish galleons. In recent years, a spate of attacks off the Horn of
Africa has shown that piracy can still be highly profitable as well as
dangerous. In Somalia, a country of grinding poverty and internal
chaos, the pirate economy is booming…It has turned the waters into the
most dangerous shipping lanes in the world…The pirates have spread
themselves across thousands of square miles of water, from the Gulf of
Aden, at the narrow doorway to the Red Sea, to the Kenyan border along
the Indian Ocean…Somali officials said piracy started about 10 to 15
years ago as a response to illegal fishing. The country's tuna-rich
waters were plundered by commercial fishing fleets soon after its
government collapsed in 1991. Somali fishermen turned into armed
vigilantes, confronting fishing boats and demanding they pay a tax. In
2008, more than 120 pirate attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden, far
more than in any other year in recent memory. Experts said the Somali
pirates netted more than $100 million, an astronomical sum for a
war-racked country whose economy is in tatters…On Dec. 29, The Piracy
Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau said that pirates
operating across the Gulf of Aden and along the coast of Somalia
attacked 214 vessels in 2009, resulting in 47 hijackings.”
Another form of Piracy is discussed in a Book Review entitled: THE PIRATE’S DILEMMA
- How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism by Matt Mason. It
references Intellectual and Creative piracy that is currently rampant.
The author observes: “A pirate is essentially anyone who broadcasts or
copies someone else’s creative property without paying for it or
obtaining permission. Piracy transforms the markets it operates in,
changing the way distribution works and forcing companies to be more
competitive and innovative. Pirates don’t just defend the public domain
from corporate control; they also force big business and government to
deliver what we want, when we want it. Pirates produce 95% of all DVDs
sold in China.” In terms of operational philosophy, the following is
stated: “Current ideas from the philosophy of punk rock: (1) Do It
Yourself. Don’t take your cues from the mass market. Set up your own
business. Be creative. (2) Resist Authority. Anarchy is the path to a
brighter future. (3) Combine Altruism with Self-Interest. Start out
putting purpose before profit. It’s cool.” In a corporate sense, the
author shares: “What happens when corporations charge so much for drugs
that poor companies can’t afford them? “When the market fails and
democracy is ignored, pirates should step into the breach. In this
case, it was governments [India, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, Egypt,
and China] in the developing world who became pill pirates, providing
better health care…by stealing ideas. Three habits of highly effective
pirates: (1) Look outside of the market. Where are the opportunities
that the market has ignored? (2) Create a vehicle. Think Blogs for an
example. (3) Harness your audience. It is the support that pirates get
that enable them to go legitimate.”
Piracy is: “the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book,
recording, television program, patented invention, trademarked
product…” Hypocrisy is: “The practice of professing beliefs, feelings,
or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness…” Sadly, for
Government and Marketplace proprietary rights, no ready solutions are
forthcoming. Piracy lacks basic integrity and has become a game –
“catch me if you can!” In the Spiritual area, one can find people who
“fake it” and pretend to possess that which they do not have, It is
identified as Hypocrisy. Control and Consequences become issues that
are beyond human connivance – it has to do with eternal observation by
God and personal accountability to Him. The Scripture gives all kinds
of warning about hypocrisy and deeds done in the flesh, and the fact
that one will be held accountable before God one day. In Romans 2:16, “…in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ…”, and Romans 14:12,
“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” No one can
(or will) escape the scrutiny of God or accountability to him! Don’t
fake it – live legitimately and be known for your integrity! Consider
these things with me!