EU Court Orders France To Compensate Somali Pirates

[Pointedstick]

Has Europe has been taken over by idiots?  Is this what is coming to the US unless people wake up?

Yes.

[Reub]

Somali pirates are people too!
Didn't you see Captain Phillips?

[Pointedstick]

This reminds me of http://www.fredoneverything.net/Rebellion.shtml

[MachineGhost]

It's the French.  Nothing more need be said.  Whatever claim they had to the Revolution has long been absconded.  Thanks for the statue, though!

[Ad Orientem]

Hostis Humani Generis

[moda0306]

Is the law reasonable?  Yes and no.  I don't like anyone to fall into some black hole in any criminal justice system.  Either get out of the business of detaining folks for crimes, or a have a rule of law around it and follow due process... you can't have your cake and eat it, too... justifying your authority based on the rule of law and due process, yet ignoring those measurements when they aren't convenient.

Is this interpretation reasonable?  No, IMO.  I didn't read the article, but "several days" isn't an unreasonable amount of time to hold hijackers, IMO.  The court infrastructure in France (or any country) probably isn't reasonably equipped to take on a case like this in a matter of 48 hours.

But to me, the big question is, how does this affect their trial?  I could care less if they get a measly $7,000 euros if they pay the proper price for their crime.  Now if this results in the case being thrown out or some garbage, then we have a big problem.  In fact, in cases of prisoner maltreatment, I think monetary compensation is reasonable, while "dropping the case" is a catastrophe.  (not that they were mistreated)


I'm definitely one to try to look at issues through different "lenses" to assess the topic based on different active premises of political and moral reality, but I'm amazed with those who hate government... until it is hurting people they find distasteful.  Or have an avid loyalty to the "rule of law"... until it does something that they don't like.  No nuance or realization of subjectivity and a dose of hypocrisy.  Just pure confidence and snarkasm like there is only one reasonable way to assess the scenario (that incidentally ignores principles you've previously stated you wish to see upheld).


Personally though, looking through my "human disgust" lense, I'm far less disgusted by Somali pirates than priviledged Arab intellectuals who turn to terrorism or simply try to exert their authority over women in their lives/communites.  We're talking about people who have probably spent most of their lives in states of desperation that I've never been exposed to.  Not that we should open borders to them (as a MN resident I say "stop the inflow"), or that they shouldn't be held responsible for their actions as a result of the rule of law... but I have a lot less respect for an Arab business man who gets his pride by degrading the women around him than a starving Somalian who says "f*k it" and decides to join a crew looking to hijack a ship.

Perhaps that's just my own f'ked up moral compass.

[dualstow]

That is wild. I wonder what the Somalis think of all that. That the West is truly civilized? Or just weak?