I can imagine Mr. Sylvester in 1803 braying against President Jefferson’s dispatch of ships and marines to the North African Coast to tackle the Pirate problem.

Back then the Royal Navy policed the world’s oceans but they had this little problem of containing this French fellow by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. Besides, they didn’t mind if their former ingrate colonials were preyed upon by pirates. Maybe we should have just paid up. After all, we weren’t the world’s policeman.

Someone has to protect the ocean commons or world trade will come to a screeching halt. Almost all international trade is carried in ships and if the world, led by the United States Navy will not deal with piracy in the time honored way this scourge will just grow all over the world. If civilized society will not deal with barbarians then barbarism wins out and civilization collapses.

The situation off the Horn of Africa is very much like New York City prior to the election of Rudi Giuliani. The young barbarians ruled the streets in guise of squeegee men, turnstile jumpers and street hustlers. Civilized life dried up in the great city of New York. Mayor Giuliani chased the barbarians from the streets of New York and it became the safest major city in the world. Perhaps the Foreign Office, the State Department and Mr. Sylvester should pay attention to the New York way.