“Pirates mock the notion that the U.S. is a superpower, as a bunch of young men, riding tiny boats, lightly armed, seem unstoppable,” Amitai Etzioni.
This article written by Amitai Etzioni, a sociologist and professor of international relations at George Washington University, sort of brings to light the issue of pirate attacks in our oceans. Here is the link, Etzioni's thought's on Pirates
In his blog he explains how these pirates are getting away with the crimes they commit with a slap on the wrist. They are not being treated as terrorists, but instead as criminals with a “catch-and-release philosophy.” They are rarely aggressively confronted. Etzioni goes on to give examples of pirates that were captured, and set free with basically no disciplinary actions.
These pirates are brutal and dangerous. He suggests that our Navy ships should be allowed to fire on unknown ships approaching them. Also, he brings up a good point about our advanced technologies, like radars and sonars. Why are we unable to find these hoodlums of the seas? He says that many attacks on innocent people are not reported, because it is “bad for business”. It seems as if this problem is being sort of swept under the rug of the public.
Mr. Etzioni’s intended audience was the American people. I think his opinion is credible. He was named among the top 100 American intellectuals in 2001; and has won awards in behavioral sciences and sociological practices. In my opinion, Amitai Etzioni hit’s it right on target, pirates are terrorists and should be treated as such.
