Pirates

Ok, this is the beginning of my blog being the biggest thing to hit the web since pornography or Rebecca Black so I feel like I should introduce myself a little. I am a 19 year old (as from today) reading politics at The University of Bristol with a heart that beats to the left (like Cable's, apparently), with a strong continuing commitment to the ideology of New Labour. I went for the blog name 'The pinnacle of cynical' because I'm a sucker for things that rhyme and pretence. Please enjoy today's topic of pirates...


Today's blog is about David Cameron's response to the ongoing international embarrassment which is Somali piracy... apologies to anyone that was expecting an insightful analysis of Peter Pan from the title. Although this blog will be used to slate David Cameron, when slating is due, I am actually very impressed by the legislation being proposed to protect sailors and an industry which is haemorrhaging millions of pounds a year due to piracy. Somalia is a lawless, failed-state which has been largely ignored by the international community, almost certainly due to there being little economic or strategic advantage to the West 'sorting things out'.

49 of 53 of last year's hijackings were committed by Somali nationals and, until today, it was illegal for ships of the United Kingdom to carry firearms in order to defend themselves from pirates. I believe this legislation, although less than perfect in an ideal world, is an absolute must in tackling this ongoing problem. I believe that the threat of combat taking place will deter many pirates, pirates which have been making a killing (pardon the use of language) hijacking defenceless targets. Although many will condemn this aggressive stance towards piracy - the facts speak for themselves. To date, no cargo ships have been boarded, when armed guards have been present, which is promising evidence for things to come.

Somalia is a country in dire need of international intervention and I believe that piracy and their national problems are only going to get worse without proper democracy and the rule of law. Until things improve in Somalia, tougher sanctions are needed to combat piracy. Today's announcement by David Cameron is a step-forward in eradicating international piracy and it's nice to see that Cameron has some sort of backbone. Credit when credit is due. Well done, Mr Cameron.