14 Aug 18
Cruise the Caribbean?
Due to political instability in rapidly-disintegrating Venezuela, as well as in Haiti and Nicaragua, the northern coast of South America, and the entire Caribbean, are becoming increasingly dangerous places to travel.
I’ve previously editorialized that it is only a matter of time before heavily-armed, modern-day Caribbean pirates move from targeting private yachts and local vessels (and their mostly unarmed crews) to “gun-free” cruise ships, chock-full of fat, unarmed, and naive American and European tourists!
Caribbean “jewels” of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, visited so often by carefree, happy-go-lucky American tourists are located uncomfortably close to Venezuela’s untamed and unstable northern shore. Local “police,”
impotent and unarmed, don’t inspire much confidence!
Dangers inherent to venturing too close to the ever-boiling political stew-pots of Haiti and Nicaragua go without saying!
Armed piracy against commercial shipping (essentially sanctioned by local governments) has plagued the Somali coast for decades, particularly since Western nations are universally too timid to take any effective military action.
The “Dane-geld Philosophy” is alive and well in Western Civilization! The “Dane-geld Philosophy,” an ignominious scandal in England for centuries, is summarized by:
“Instead of courageously standing up to them, let’s just pay them off”
Relevant excerpt (from the Washington Post):
“Political and economic crises are exploding, from Venezuela, to Nicaragua, to Haiti, sparking widespread anarchy and criminality. As rule of law breaks down, certain spots in the Caribbean, experts say, are becoming more dangerous than they’ve been in years.”
Translation into plain English:
When unfortunate and defenseless tourists, jammed aboard Caribbean cruise ships and into swanky Caribbean tourist destinations, find themselves under violent assault by heavily-armed ascendants of Blackbeard, the USCG and USN will likely be nowhere near, and local police will be “notable” only by how fast they can run away!
“Let’s jump on board, and cut them to pieces.”
Blackbeard
/John
