Not A Parody Headline

3:20 pm EST April 13th, 2009 | News | 14 Comments

National Review: “Want to Prevent Piracy? Privatize the Ocean”

No doubt the work of U.S. mercenaries in Iraq and the cowboys of Wall Street have shown us that this is a path sensible people should go down.

Seriously, come on.

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14 Responses to “Not A Parody Headline”

  1. White Whale says:
    April 13, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Shorter conservatives: We hate that socialist organization known as the military!

  2. Quaker in a Basement says:
    April 13, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    Dr. Leeson isn’t even trying.

    He proposes to “prevent piracy” by auctioning off rights to Somalia’s coastal waters. He forgets to explain who will enforce those rights.

    I suppose it’s possible that he envisions the successful bidder organizing its own private navy to keep the pirates at bay. At this point, though, I don’t think any such enterprise exists.

  3. jr says:
    April 13, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Randtards being Randtards

  4. Duros62 says:
    April 13, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    At this point, though, I don’t think any such enterprise exists.

    Pretty sure Blackwater – oh, sorry, Xe has something in the works along those lines.

  5. Parthenon says:
    April 13, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    Want to prevent air pollution? Privatize the atmosphere!

  6. Scott Ricketts says:
    April 13, 2009 at 6:19 pm

    If this is the best the pundit class can come up with, the right is in real trouble.

  7. Quaker in a Basement says:
    April 13, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    How long would this idea stand up if the Chinese won the bidding?

  8. Sean D. Martin says:
    April 13, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    According to some Somali pirates, greedy foreign corporations are exploiting valuable resources in these waters, which is allegedly why they’ve resorted to piracy (the large ransoms earned from pirating are a happy but unexpected byproduct of pursuing social justice, I suppose)…

    Clearly scoff at the claim made by the pirates. And then in the very next sentence

    …If this is right, Somalia’s coastal waters should be able to fetch a handsome price.

    use that same claim as a central support for your plan.

    Right wing logic is funny.

  9. Quaker in a Basement says:
    April 13, 2009 at 7:20 pm

    Nicely done, Sean.

    I think the reasoning goes: If the Somali pirates are actually making money, we want in on the action!

  10. Southern Quaker says:
    April 13, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    “the international community should try auctioning off Somali’s coastal waters.”

    and

    “It’s not so important where the proceeds go.”

    Just about sums it up, doesn’t it?

  11. Southern Quaker says:
    April 13, 2009 at 7:40 pm

    As ridiculous as this article is, at least it pays some lip service to the problem of the illegal dumping and fishing that has been going on off the coast of Somalia for two decades. What are the chances that growing international pressure to halt the piracy will be met with equal pressure to stop the illegal ravaging of the Somali coast?

    Next to none, I’d bet.

  12. syco says:
    April 13, 2009 at 7:59 pm

    Selling something that is of Africa?

    Why does that sound familiar?

  13. somejackass says:
    April 13, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    I love the last line. “Establishing private property rights where they don’t currently exist is the solution to about 90 percent of world’s problems.”

  14. Duros62 says:
    April 16, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    Property is THEFT!

    Or something.