Nuclear Bomb Levels Paris, Many American Tourists Killed

From the news coverage in this country you’d think that the U.S. was the only country having a problem with Somali pirates; the in some respects much worse crises that ships from other countries have been facing at the same time have received virtually no mention.

Even the Guardian – a British rather than American paper – leads off its story on the Somali seizure of a French ship by saying –

A French military operation to free a yacht hijacked by Somali pirates backfired yesterday when one of the hostages was killed, highlighting the perils facing US forces trying to free an American seaman being held captive in a parallel pirate standoff.

– as though the chief significance of the French ship’s crisis were that it illustrates the dangers of the American ship’s crisis. The American media’s attitude is even worse; only America exists.

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18 Responses to Nuclear Bomb Levels Paris, Many American Tourists Killed

  1. Bob Kaercher April 13, 2009 at 10:36 am #

    Roderick, it isn’t that “only America exists,” but that America is the only country that exists that is of any importance. Hope that clarifies things for you.

  2. Anon73 April 13, 2009 at 10:57 am #

    I don’t see the distinction.

  3. Matt April 13, 2009 at 1:44 pm #

    Perhaps because the French hostage situation in the article had been resolved (poorly) while the American hostage situation was still ongoing as of the press-time of the article you quote.

  4. Brother Mark, Amen April 13, 2009 at 2:19 pm #

    Nobody posted the Onion video from last year yet?

  5. littlehorn April 13, 2009 at 2:29 pm #

    According to McClatchy News, the pirates had no more ammo. This was murder.

    • Mike D April 13, 2009 at 6:08 pm #

      Bit of a stretch there. Weapons or no, they were still holding a man hostage. I’m as big a critic of American militarism as any libertarian, but I won’t be shedding any tears over dead pirates.

      • Rich Baumann April 15, 2009 at 3:38 pm #

        It’s no more a stretch than saying that it’s murder to kill someone for simply standing on your lawn, before you’ve even so much as asked them to leave. Only the force that’s actually necessary for defense is actually defensive. Killing is only justifiable if it is the minimum force necessary for actual defense. Force used for supposedly defensive purposes, that goes beyond what is actually required for defense, is not defensive force, it is criminal aggression. If they were unarmed, killing them was not actually necessary for defense, lesser force would’ve been sufficient, and so they died by criminal aggression, thus making it murder, or at the very least manslaughter (though that distinction really has no place in libertarian law, because the restitution should be the same regardless).

  6. Anon73 April 15, 2009 at 4:41 pm #

    The story I read said the men were brandishing guns and threatening to kill the hostage. Of course, even if a dozen soldiers swore to it I’d still be skeptical. Considering how honest the domestic police forces in this country are, I’m not sure one can expect much more in the way of honesty from the regular military.

  7. John T. Kennedy April 15, 2009 at 10:59 pm #

    “The American media’s attitude is even worse; only America exists.”

    My attitude is worse than that; I don’t even care about the American ship.

    • Brandon April 16, 2009 at 2:26 pm #

      It’s obvious that you don’t understand what makes America great — the ability to kill people in the Third World, especially if their skin isn’t white.

      • John T. Kennedy April 16, 2009 at 7:18 pm #

        You figure that was Obama’s play here?

        • Brandon April 16, 2009 at 7:34 pm #

          It was what it always is: Don’t Mess With The Big Dog.
          Every administration does this. Happens all the time. It’s just that over the years the Big Dog has discovered that it’s easier when you use a section of the world, ie. the Third World, that can’t defend itself.
          The US isn’t going to attack a country like Germany or Japan again. It’s too expensive. It’s better to shoot fish in a barrel.

        • John T. Kennedy April 21, 2009 at 3:50 pm #

          On the other hand Germany and japan have not hijacked any American ships lately, that could be a factor.

  8. Anon73 April 16, 2009 at 12:53 pm #

    Supposedly the ship carried U.N. food aid for Kenya or some such country. Would you feel the same way if the ship was carrying food aid from private, voluntary donations?

  9. Ray Mangum April 16, 2009 at 4:47 pm #

    America is the elephant in the room that nobody can stop talking about. Or the 90 pound gorilla or whatever. Some kind of terrifying overweight beast. A Kraken, maybe.

    • Roderick April 17, 2009 at 11:28 am #

      Giant squid! Giant squid!

    • Black Bloke April 18, 2009 at 1:45 pm #

      Fear my gorilla! He weighs less than 100 pounds!

  10. Anon73 April 17, 2009 at 11:34 am #

    Kraken sounds cooler.

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