I'm glad the cap'n is all right. He's got a lot of guts and did himself proud (contrasted, say, with other captains in recent years who have been the first off their boats. And it's good to know our special forces guys can get the job done.
As for the pirates, well, it's the life and death you chose, ain't it.
"Yes, pirates are dangerous criminals, blah blah blah. And yet in their home movies, they come off as kind of charming!"
Mr. Thomas on Sunday....
"Now that the merchants are giving way to the marines and the pirates are turning tail, they just don't seem that hip anymore. Somali pirates: so over."
Hey!! Wait a minute. I thought you wanted me to like the pirates. Oh well....everyone loves a winner.
I don't know, you guys. This chest-thumping is pretty gross. A country with one of the highest (if not the highest, although I don't have the numbers in front of me) military budgets in the world is able to kill a ragtag team of pirates from one of the poorest and most rundown (vis-a-vis government, infrastructure, et al.) countries on earth and there's celebration?
@Ensconced: You're right, you don't know. We're happy the captain's life was saved from the thuggish bandits that held him hostage for five days in a life boat. Is that okay with you?
Killing the bandits wasn't the hard part, rescuing the captain from their clutches alive was. It took skill and tactical brilliance.
That Somalia is a hellhole isn't an excuse for violent muggery and hostage-taking.
The man's life was saved, speaking of poverty and "infrastructure" is to excuse violent crime on the high seas, extortion, and hostage-taking, and I am heartily sick of hearing this grotesque rationalization.
Saying happiness at the captain's rescue is an example of the US "fallen hard"-
ridiculous. There still is such a thing as valor, and right and wrong, and I'll cry no tears for those mercenary hostage-takers. How petty to disrespect the incredible
Navy men who pulled this off, budgets have nothing to do with it.
I'm liberal, not quite American, and I'm thrilled at this rescue. What's your problem? Go explain to a hostage's family about "infrastructure" and Western guilt as a reason their loved one is being held at gunpoint at sea.
@Ensconced: No, you can't, and you won't get far with personal invective like that. It's not "worth (your) response" because your petty bitch-sesh was content-free, moaning about poverty and military budgets, rather than the amazing human drama of what happened.
What on earth was your point- "The US has fallen hard" because of what happened today? How sour and pointless.
I won't return the "fuck you", because if you had to say it, clearly you lost. I'd be embarrassed too. But I accept your apology.
@rdecredico: hardly. as an 'ultra-lib' i'm perfectly delighted when the US Military is successful. it's the giant, wasteful, unnecessary wars, started by 'ultra-conservative' politicians who never stepped foot on a battlefield themselves, which then have to be fought endlessly by fine young men and women that piss us off.
@rdecredico: Let's be fair and give them a chance. We don't want to turn this US achievement into a source of partisan bickering. Owen did a good job of being hip and positive about the victory.
@rdecredico: Oh, I don't know. Military got a defined mission and carried it out wonderfully, under the administration of our progressive/muslin/appeasing Commander in Chief, Barack Hussein Obama. Boo-yahs all around!
@ChillbearLatrigue: @rdecredico: You both can kiss my ass. Conflating liberals with being "against the troops" is a tired libel, and it takes a tiny mind to imagine anyone is anything but thrilled the captain is rescued and safe, thanks to the valiant efforts of the Navy SEALs. I'm ecstatic, actually.
Happy Easter, thanks for the wretchedly gratuitous partisanship at a happy moment.
This is why you right-wing sorts suck. And why civilized people shake their heads at such petty spitefulness.
@Baroness: Why don't you re-read my post without imagining a snarky tone. I even complimented Owen.
As far as kissing your ass goes, we'll have to have a look at it first now won't we? You know with classy talk like that, I'm starting to think that you may not even be a real baroness.
@rdecredico: You know what, the clumsy, cartoonish reasoning behind your comment seems to me like the work of an immature, attention-starved 17-year-old -- but Gawker has supported so many disparate and singular fantasies in its virtual pages, I figure there's room as well for your fantasies of persecution by whiny, decadent, America-hating liberals who don't really exist. So please, carry on.
@ChillbearLatrigue: "let's be fair and give them a chance", you said, referring to "ultra-libs". As if you were being magnaminous, as if you agreed that "ultra-libs" would have preferred a disaster or the loss of the captain's life. As if there were some sort of petty partisan angle here. I don't care if you (weirdly) thanked Owen for not doing what your prejudiced imagination had him doing- how would he not be positive about it?
@Baroness: Did you mean "Bohr?" It's really not what I meant. Just trying to temper a fellow conservative. I felt he was wrong for vollying a shot off the bow like that. Happy Easter to you too.
I think Sully would agree that Phillips who jumped in the water to escape the pirates TWICE, knowing that he would be shot at and likely killed, is in a class by himself.
11/18/09
11/18/09
Too bad none of them were killed.
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
11/18/09
Personally, I would have liked to see another beer-bottle defense:
[www.timesonline.co.uk]
11/18/09
04/13/09
As for the pirates, well, it's the life and death you chose, ain't it.
04/12/09
"Yes, pirates are dangerous criminals, blah blah blah. And yet in their home movies, they come off as kind of charming!"
Mr. Thomas on Sunday....
"Now that the merchants are giving way to the marines and the pirates are turning tail, they just don't seem that hip anymore. Somali pirates: so over."
Hey!! Wait a minute. I thought you wanted me to like the pirates. Oh well....everyone loves a winner.
04/12/09
The U.S. has fallen hard.
04/12/09
Killing the bandits wasn't the hard part, rescuing the captain from their clutches alive was. It took skill and tactical brilliance.
That Somalia is a hellhole isn't an excuse for violent muggery and hostage-taking.
The man's life was saved, speaking of poverty and "infrastructure" is to excuse violent crime on the high seas, extortion, and hostage-taking, and I am heartily sick of hearing this grotesque rationalization.
Saying happiness at the captain's rescue is an example of the US "fallen hard"-
ridiculous. There still is such a thing as valor, and right and wrong, and I'll cry no tears for those mercenary hostage-takers. How petty to disrespect the incredible
Navy men who pulled this off, budgets have nothing to do with it.
I'm liberal, not quite American, and I'm thrilled at this rescue. What's your problem? Go explain to a hostage's family about "infrastructure" and Western guilt as a reason their loved one is being held at gunpoint at sea.
04/12/09
"We killed some poors to save some guy I don't know! W00000T America!"
Fuck you, lady.
04/12/09
What on earth was your point- "The US has fallen hard" because of what happened today? How sour and pointless.
I won't return the "fuck you", because if you had to say it, clearly you lost. I'd be embarrassed too. But I accept your apology.
04/12/09
04/12/09
I shall, enthusiastically. Suck it, scoundrels.
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
Successful efforts by US Military are just not hip enough to generate positive buzz.
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
Happy Easter, thanks for the wretchedly gratuitous partisanship at a happy moment.
This is why you right-wing sorts suck. And why civilized people shake their heads at such petty spitefulness.
04/12/09
As far as kissing your ass goes, we'll have to have a look at it first now won't we? You know with classy talk like that, I'm starting to think that you may not even be a real baroness.
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
Again, happy Easter, boor.
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09
04/12/09