Posted on 10/10/2001 12:44:32 PM PDT by Demidog
I just received a call from my contact at Ron Paul's office.
Ron Paul today introduced two bills into the House of Representatives which would authorize the State Department to issue letters of Marque authorizing privateers to attack and collect assets from terrorists who commit hostile acts against the U.S.
This means that you (yes you personallywould be able to help to bring down the rogue and nationless enemies of the United States provided you meet a few requirements.
The precendence for this bill is based on specific Constitutional powers and was seen as a remedy by our founders for those nationaless terrorists who committed acts against U.S. merchant ships on the high seas. We're dealing with Pirates here and a significant effort has been made by Ron Paul's team to create a legal definition for "Air Piracy" which would include hijackings.
The text of the Bills have not been published yet but I will update everyone the moment the text becomes available.
The Bills are: H.R. 3074 and H.R. 3076
Please call your congressman and tell him that you want them to either sponsor or support this bill.
All booty was to be brought to a special court which then divied up the booty between the state, the privateer and any private citizen who might have claim to some of the posessions in the haul.
For instance if your goods being shipped to America had been taken by a Pirate and recovered by a privateer, you would have to provide evidence that the goods were first on their way to you and the court would determine that the privateer had no claim to keep the items. Anything not contested would be kept by the privateer minus a tax.
I wish my congress critters had half the understanding of the Constitution and the principles of liberty that he has.
Bump!!
But do you honestly believe it will pass the Senate, and George W. Bush will sign it?
I think this is appropriate. I think further, that there may well be some enterprising ex-military folks who may find that this is a lucrative business for them to pursue.
Wow you scooped all the major media(except maybe Soldier of Fortune magazine), about a Congressman submitting a bill that the US employ mercenaries.
Sheesh you Libertarians are a weird bunch. First you have Lew Rockwell and Co, saying that the WTC atrociites are the US's fault because of an "interventionist" foreign policy and now we have the most Libertarian member of Congress saying that we should officially autorize mercernaries.
Excuse me but aren't mercenaries only effective when they can operate in secret(i.e. no official government sanction).
Leave it up to the Libertarian wing to pronounce our intentions with chest beating thumping, because it is wrapped up in 18th century language.
They are long standing, effective means of bringing the total impact of war to the enemy.
They are also effective "force multipliers", to use some modern terminology. These free up military assets to pursue the military assets of the enemy, unencumbered by other distractions. At the same time, lower value assets of the enemy can be captured as prizes of war by privateers and the citizen militias.
How much can we get for some of those Toyota trucks the Taliban are always roaring around the countryside in?
Heh, that made me remember a story from an uncle that was a PI/bounty hunter and ex-security chief of a (state that borders Mexico) Governor. He entered Mexico and captured a bail jumper and had a little problem re-entering. Seems like the Mexicans aren't real happy when they find an American in the process of bringing a handcuffed Mexican back over to our side.
He was glad that he had memorized a phone number of the Governor, and after a couple of tense hours, he was allowed to cross without his prisoner. I don't think he went back to Mexico after that, at least for business purposes. Heh, learn something new and remember something old every day I guess.
Good post.
Yes, one is likely bring unstoppable assets against rogue regimes, and the other is likely to get arrested like a cross-dressing French journalist.
Your generalization is as breath-taking as it is unsupported.
I hold no grudge.
I am confused by this reaction, since there was a news article about the use of mercanies in Columbia and the reaction from many Republicans nonplussed. It was mostly the Democrats and other left-wingers that got all hot-under-the-collar about "private armies."
This is, in essence, another way of saying "Bin Laden: wanted dead or alive $1,000,000 reward."
As an aside, Dane, you must know all libertarians aren't the same, just as all Republicans aren't the same or agree with each and every platform plank.
Really neat if you think about it, they get all of the fun of being pirates but none of the hassle of being hunted down. It's actually something we should have resumed a long time ago (they pretty much stopped giving out letters of marque after the Civil War), pirates (mostly drug runners looking to switch boats, but still some of the classic style) still cruise the Carribean waters, there's been some heavy activity off of Baja the last couple. And most of these guys hang out in international waters so we're pretty much powerless against them.
Not sure how useful it will be against terrorists. But who cares, privateers are just nifty. Gives me something to look forward to when I cash out those stock options.
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