gconsier

Thanks for answering. I know it seems so simple from my living room sitting behind a laptop in Chicago, but it just seems to me this shouldn't be so complicated. I realize international water law is its own thing and it seems very complicated and very contradictory in a # of ways... Not to mention all the different laws in all the different ports.

I just seems to me that it is ludicrous that ships are not allowed to carry adequate arms to defend themselves from somewhat minor threats such as pirates. Let's be honest for one of us a .50 BMG sounds like a big scary gun (I have shot them myself) but in the grand scheme of things when we are talking about Naval guns it is a pea shooter. The ability to have guns up to and including .50 BMG I imagine would be an appropriate response to pirates, but it would not give the ability for a tanker or container ship to take over small countries or do battle with naval gun boats or aircraft carriers.

I can't see why they cannot install a locked safe area with only approved people such as the captain and a few trusted officers having access to open and retrieve weapons from. When in port the weapons are locked up safely and the ports know and expect this.

Perhaps world powers should consult me, I could probably solve a lot of their problems. Hear that world powers? I am here if you need me. :)

Edit: Fixed it. Not sure why I said "thanks for asking" when I meant "answering"

I was going to ask what your thoughts were on Blackwater's anti piracy service, but in looking it up I found this. Now it's not so much a question, but posting of something interesting I just learned.

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Blackwater-Securitys-anti-pirate-escort-service-fail-as-a-business-model

I don't even want to imagine the human resources mess if that went floating across the capsule and smacked another crew member.

as someone who used to watch the simpsons years ago I am all too familiar.

Somehow I assume as a photojournalist of so many years you've dealt with your share of assbadgers