POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: skeebo1969 on October 23, 2009, 08:27:44 am
-
Our shores just got a little saferrr.... oh sorry I meant Somalia's shores just got a little safer. I really like the part of the article that states the following:
"Early cost estimates for Littoral Combat Ships were about $220 million apiece, but costs spiraled because of the Navy's requirements and its desire to expedite construction. The cost of the ships is capped at $460 million apiece, starting in the new fiscal year."
What's another $240 million? We're the US of A, we can handle it...... No Problem!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_speedy_warship
-
re somalia/somali pirates,
there was an interesting article about the other side of the story.. why they're hyjacking ships there, allegedly alot of companies are dumping toxic waste off their shores or something (basically because they have no government to speak of)
J
-
re somalia/somali pirates,
there was an interesting article about the other side of the story.. why they're hyjacking ships there, allegedly alot of companies are dumping toxic waste off their shores or something (basically because they have no government to speak of)
J
An article appeared in Time Magazine (http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1892376,00.html) last April that also cited illegal fishing by other countries in Somali waters as a reason the piracy started.
Basically, the Coalition government now in place in Somali has no coastguard, and other nations have been taking advantage of this and plundering and polluting Somali waters. It's despicable, really, and makes me feel like the West is ultimately responsible for this piracy situation. It started out with Somali fishermen creating their own volunteer coast guard - and who could blame them? It's spiralled out of control now - no big surprise there.
Ann
-
Somalia's whole infrastructure is screwed and pretty much has been since... well forever. Of course they could have followed Zimbabwe's course with the likes of the great Mugabe *cough* nightmare that continues to this day.
US of A's participation in these things is not welcomed at all. The only thing we do is create more enemies for ourselves in the end.
And if you think we are doing this to help some poor souls you are wrong. It is all financial, hence why I mentioned the fact that our buyers for the US military see no problem in a extra expense of $40 million just to push up the production date. That's per ship! How many did they want-was it 52? $40 millions x 52..... hmmmm.
The American public obviously are the only ones living in a recession because our government sure is not!
-
And if you think we are doing this to help some poor souls you are wrong.
Absolutely. If it were being done to "help some poor souls", then the intervention would have happened back when the Somali fishermen were first losing their livelihoods due to marauding foreign fishermen and when coastal Somalis were becoming ill from the pollutants being dumped off their shores.
But no, there was no financial incentive back then. Just starving and dying Somalis. >:( :'(
Ann
-
But no, there was no financial incentive back then. Just starving and dying Somalis. >:( :'(
Ann
So what is the logic for our government to rush production of these ships at an extreme additional cost Ann? Which was the reason for the post to begin with. If we really wanted to help why not infuse some of our PT style boats we used in Vietnam? Why not get some of our low draft Coast Guard vessels over there to assist? If people are struggling in these tough economic times to put food on the table here how does our government see fit to spend an extra $40 million per vessel just because they want rushed production?
-
After re-reading both articles this ship is set sail to protect cargo ships over there more than anything else. They just created a faster killing machine is all. So we go over to another countries shores to do what? We will once again set off on a mission, create more hatred towards our country, and have the Republicans scratching their heads wondering why...
Of course not all the ships will be deployed. Most will be sitting at port rusting away due to cutbacks and our failed economy... and/or we will sell the speedboats to our current allies at half price....
I'm still trying to figure out the whole idea of having enough IBM's to destroy the world over by a thousand times concept during 70's and 80's... now of course this comes about, along with some plane that can turn on a dime, the F-22 I believe it is called.
-
After re-reading both articles this ship is set sail to protect cargo ships over there more than anything else.
That's what I was talking about in reply #4. If anyone had thought to protect the Somali's fishing rights back when countries like Japan and Spain were first plundering their waters (and Spanish fishermen are notorious for illegally fishing the waters belonging to other nations), maybe it wouldn't have come to this situation we have now. I don't blame the Somalis for being angry - and although I do not agree with what they're doing, I can understand how it came about. Back anyone into a corner and they'll eventually come out swinging.
Ann