Recently, a pirate attack on an Italian cruiser was thwarted. Before that, pirates captured a ship and took the captain hostage for five days.
Huh? Last time I checked, this was the 21st century. Most peple think of modern piracy applying to DVDs, not ships. When we think of the swashbucklers of the high seas, we think of tall ships carrying the likes of Blackbeard, Long John Silver, and Captain Hook. We think of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, chests filled with gold dubloons and treasure, eye patches and peg-legs. We think of the Jolly Roger, lusty wenches, swords, and Jean LaFitte (technically a privateer). Mostr of all, we think of the 18th century. Nowhere in our image are Somalians running around with AK-47s.
The Cat's Hat 
The reality of terror of the somali coast can only be explained in one way.. Religious ideology.
Its a simple matter of “ghazu” from Arabia.
Its a question of who has right to property under Islamic law. Is it wrong to take from Infidels or should infidels not pay their taxes to Islam?
You would ask your self “what would the Law of Torah have me do? a christian would ask, What Would Jesus have me Do?” Muslims ask, “What Would Muhammad Do?” And there you have it. The Nature of piracy off the east coast of Africa.
Remember, Somali is a lawless place, has been lawless since 1989, and is now virtually uneducated and Islamic. The few African and Christian that lived there have long been converted by Force and or expelled.
Islam is a worldview, and many of its most central presuppositions run counter to your Western ideals. At the same time, your elitist new York world view seem unswerving to the essential idea of secularization and the irrelevance of religious belief. At a practical level today l, most Americans wouldn’t know the difference between the North African Barbary pirates of old and a Disney movie. However, the truth is, their motivation then and now is the same. Islam.
Dude/Dudette–
This was not meant to be statement of religious or political ideology, nor is it meant to be a slam against any particular nation. It is simply a half-joking “Plus ca change…” Even in our enlightened 21st century, we can still be victimized by a crime many people thought had gone the way of the tall ship.
Also, many pirates, including the ones I mentioned, were European Christians. Please review your history and stop trying to trash Islam.
I am a Dude…
I happen to have come from that part of the world (west Africa to be exact) and do not see any real fun in gun totting ruffians..
I see the humor now…
But its sort of a serious issue for me, since people I know still live under such tyranny…