Solving the Somali Pirate problem...

For a long time I have been saying, why don't they allow cargo ship crews to be armed, in order to defend themselves against these pirates? All it would take is a few trained crew members on each vessel to put a stop to these puny boats. It has puzzled me why private companies have allowed this to go on for so long when it doesn't seem that difficult an issue to solve.

If I was going to be part of one of these crews, I wouldn't go if no one on board was armed or permitted to defend themselves. That's not a tough guy thing to say - "yo lemme at those pirates" - simply, it's far more scary surrendering to them and being at their mercy, than actually fighting them from a far bigger vessel. In my opinion.

Isn't this just a protection racket to enrich proxies of the state?

(I admit this issue appeals to my ancap side. We'll get there one day. Probably not in my lifetime or this century. lol.)



- Clickbait interlude -
I saw this video because it's going around on networks again, it is NOT new as certain clickbait sites are implying. The 'battle' shown above dates back to 2013. I wrote this at first presuming the video was new. Be careful!

Watching this and other footage people are getting on GoPro cameras etc, combined with the privatisation and outsourcing of war makes me think, will war be livestreamed (with a delay of course haha) in the future? Governments would try to censor that, and corporations wouldn't want eyes to be on them also, but could they stop individual contractors from posting Epic Battle Videos that pay a second salary in ad revenue? Because you know everyone would watch. Morbid Fascination.

(sry for going full Black Mirror, but hey it will probably happen)