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Originally Posted by Eddie
Who? The French sailors that didn't illegally detain French citizens in international waters (I'm presuming that one, yes)?
Had they done that, the people would have cried to the media, "Oh, the military wouldn't let us do this..." and I'd wager that everyone trying to lay blame on those sailors would be laying blame the other way.
What about blaming the damned pirates that committed the illegal action instead of the military? Why can't it be their faults since they're the ones who actually took hostages.
I don't know. It just seems more logical to blame the bad guys, not the good guys, even if they are French.
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I'm not sure I'm getting everything here. Anyway as I'm french, I might be blaming some among us but not the military.
The current issue (in the french medias) is about the ostage's death who might have been killed by friendly fire (Oops, too bad if it's the case but he has done everything possible for this to happen). Moreover, the medias and politics are not always being the wisest in these cases.
Of course, you are to blame pirates (no question about that). However, in that specific case, the former ostages are to be blamed as well and for several reasons.
- They assumed they were smarter than anyone else, including the military.
- They chose to ignore what was reported (weekly on the media).
- They chose to ignore direct warnings or at least minimize them.
- They had an other possible route : If a commercial ship has to go that way (for obvious economical reasons) that was not their case. They were going away to live another life, fine, but they could have done so by travelling through the cape of good hope (especially true when you start your trip from the Finistère). That's not without danger as piracy is increasing near Cameroon... Still it's safer.
- They needlessly put their kid in danger (as a father, I just can't get that one).
- They needlesly put the troopers life in danger as well.
- Last, they are costing France (and all the french) a hell f... amount of money that could be best invested elsewhere: In more patrol, in better protection of international shipping in that area...
IMO, they are like those people climbing mountains without proper training and equipments. I'm glad when someone save them but I find them responsible and don't care at all if they don't survive. I think that they should be accounted responsible for their own choices. It's too easy to declare that you don't care about anything and then count on others to save your butt. Ok, the guy is dead but, damn it, he has done everything in his power to end up that way and that doesn't make him any better. In that specific case, I'm only glad for the three years old kid and for his grand parents. I'm also sad for that kid because he will have to deal with the fact that his father died as a jerk! I'm also glad that none of our commandos were wounded. I'm not going to be politically correct on that one but, in that matter, if someone deserved to be killed (outside the pirates of course), it was that guy.
By the way, these former ostages have not been complaining and their family has been the first to thank our soldiers (you have to grant them credit for that).