I have always been surprised that pirates are still a very real problem in maritime transportation. Piracy seems like a very dated, old-timey problem. I believe the first ever insurance company arose from the need for protection financially from piracy and other maritime risks. Yet hundreds of years later, piracy remains a very real concern. I couldn't wrap my mind around why these pirates seem to thrive. However, after listening to the podcast, I can see why piracy is a very functional, professional business venture that still survives today.
After watching Captain Phillips, the film about the famous, mainstream Somali pirate incident, I began to realize that quite a bit of consideration goes into the whole "pirate procedure". The movie did not delve into the business side as much as the podcast, but did elude to some sort of financier who backs the operation. The movie also did not depict the pirates as organized like the podcast describes them. The pirates were portrayed as a handful of teenagers waving around automatic assault rifles with not much direction.
The podcast explained a much more elaborate form of professional piracy than I had ever realized. I had always assumed that pirates were just gangbangers that went around the ocean looking for a boat to terrorize. I never realized that in fact, wealthy stakeholders facilitate piracy by using the operation as a mode of investment. The podcast described piracy as some sort of alternative to securities or real estate. These investors carefully consider which ships to rob, who's on the ship, what the ship carries, and which country the ship belongs to in order to achieve maximum profit. Of course, there's the overhead costs of speed boats, RPG's, assault rifles, crew, negotiators, and the catering company, but minimal fees compared to the millions that can be made.
The main reason piracy thrives today is due to a sort of "piracy paradox" that faces the cargo owners. The companies have to pay the ransoms to avoid deaths and media trouble, because a lot of times their government is not capable of saving the boat. This allows the pirates to stay in business, because they keep receiving the ransoms. The ship owner on the podcast described this as a "vicious circle".
It's basically, in other words, a form of protection racket with a kidnapping chaser. The pirates are actually presenting themselves as more like "tax collectors." Of course, they aren't really tax collectors. But part of their self-justification is to blur the lines between what they do and what tax collectors do--in each case they are getting money for nothing in a general sense. It's just, of course, that taxes tend to have more legitimacy.
ReplyDeleteThe podcast definitely changed my idea of modern day pirates as well. I haven't seen Captain Phillip's yet, but my idea of the African pirates was much more like the ones you said were in the movie. It is eye opening and even a bit more scary knowing that they have direction and really know the business of piracy.
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