(no subject)

[deza]

Just a reminder that the Somali pirates aren't just targeting massive shipping...

http://somalilandpress.com/4951/kidnapped-yachtie-returns-to-somaliland-to-claim-his-yacht
Meet Jurgen Kantner. At 61 years old, he sold off everything he owned, bought a small sailing yacht, and set off with his partner Sabine Merz to sail to Thailand to enjoy retirement life.

Last June, they were captured by Somali pirates. They were held captive for 52 days before being ransomed by an unknown source. During their captivity, they were starved, tortured and threatened with execution several times. When they were released, Jurgen's boat was not returned.

The boat held all of Jurgen's private possessions. He has no income, no place to live, and he had closed his . bank accounts out to carry cash when he sailed away. With no where to go, he's had no choice but to return to Somaliland to reclaim and repair his boat. He plans to continue on Thailand for the lower cost of living in his retirement.

Comments

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

Not to blame the victim or anything, but this fellow doesn't exactly sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer. He carried his entire life savings with him in the form of cash, apparently thinks that his worldly possessions are still on his boat, and is going to "electrify the rails with 220 volts" as a security system while he repairs the boat. This won't end well.

[lady-autumnstar.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's not "the sharpest knife in the drawer", but does that justify what happened to him? Did it give the Somali pirates the right to attack him and his companion? Really?

Who knew?

[jackolantern.livejournal.com]

Let me try the first part again:

Not to blame the victim or anything

In other words, I am not, in fact, blaming the victim. No, seriously, I'm not. The point that I am making is that he may simply be too stupid to live out this dream without running into any number of other calamities that would end his voyage prematurely and, quite possibly, fatally. Compassion for a crime victim =/= overlooking some pretty catastrophic flaws in their former/future plans.

[lady-autumnstar.livejournal.com]

Yes, actually, you are blaming the victim. You say "Oh, I'm not blaming him BUT" and then go on to say that he is so stupid as to do this thing, so maybe he deserves what he got.

[blueingenue.livejournal.com]

Without necessarily assigning blame, one can acknowledge that a victim did not take precautions that would decrease risk. I can sympathize with the man but if I were in the insurance business I wouldn't issue him a policy.

[lady-autumnstar.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! He was not as careful as he should have been.

[cherokeepurple.livejournal.com]

Away to the gallows!!!

Ya know... as a sailor, why in the hell didn't he have his own selection of guns? He should have known better. The Somali pirates are not a new thing... sheeesh.