tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post4015090766671565065..comments2024-03-28T04:26:30.557-05:00Comments on Boston 1775: Pirates, Corsairs, and PrivateersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-56917374012506223752009-07-16T19:02:28.477-05:002009-07-16T19:02:28.477-05:00I haven’t seen evidence that France or Britain enc...I haven’t seen evidence that France or Britain encouraged attacks on American ships. Rather, after the Revolutionary War, ships from the U.S. of A. lost the protection that came with being British colonies or French allies.J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-43226351718752447692009-07-13T16:50:38.103-05:002009-07-13T16:50:38.103-05:00Nice analogy, but to be a little more fair, 1776&#...Nice analogy, but to be a little more fair, 1776's (1812's also) privateers were operating in a war against an enemy. Somali pirates seem to go after anyone, N or S American, Euro, Asian or African.<br />Barbary pirates were primarily operating near N Africa but went corsairing far away also.<br />BTW I've seen claims elsewhere that Barbary pirates were encouraged to go after US targets by UK anf France.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-92202970143826470972009-05-01T14:34:00.000-05:002009-05-01T14:34:00.000-05:00Thanks for that link to a foreign perspective!Thanks for that link to a foreign perspective!J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-39347298193607588792009-05-01T09:21:00.000-05:002009-05-01T09:21:00.000-05:00My way of a musical interlude: the late great folk...My way of a musical interlude: the late great folk singer Stan Rogers wrote a wonderful sea-shanty called Barrett's Privateers that is chronologically appropriate here. It tells the story of a Nova Scotia boy who signs on to a British privateer in 1778. There's <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PQbdmQRwc" REL="nofollow">one good (if abridged) version on YouTube</A>. More here:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett's_PrivateersRobert J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12937384579138400443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-76118140361774172012009-04-30T14:07:00.000-05:002009-04-30T14:07:00.000-05:00It would indeed be interesting to consider what th...It would indeed be interesting to consider what the U.S. of A. would look like if the first generation had maintained its skepticism about standing armies, a navy, foreign alliances, &c. <br /><br />The country almost certainly wouldn’t be involved in so many foreign countries as it is today. Then again, the U.S. of A. almost certainly wouldn’t include California or much of its other current territory.J. L. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-22875989335337615922009-04-30T13:49:00.000-05:002009-04-30T13:49:00.000-05:00In fairness to Ron Paul, I think his suggestion wa...In fairness to Ron Paul, I think his suggestion was meant in the context of restoring the original American (deeply skeptical) view of a large military and the isolationist foreign policy that dominated when the US Constitution was adopted. Your contrast with the British of the day is poignant, given that the British policies were heading them into bankruptcy (not to mention the adverse effects of even their "successful" colonialism). <br /><br />If repeating the role of 19th Century Britain is the alternative, maybe Paul's suggestion isn't so crazy.Vernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749548749451100874noreply@blogger.com