I Wondered if Anyone Would Suggest This

Ron Paul has a solution to the pirate problem - Los Angeles Times Letters of Marque and Reprisal are a very old nautical tradition for letting private parties deal with pirates.

It might even work, if given a chance. It will never be given a chance.

Ron Paul, the Texas congressman and darling of Libertarians everywhere, has an idea on how the United States can deal with the Somali pirates plaguing international shipping in the Indian Ocean: hire and train some bounty hunters.

It won't be given a chance in part because privateers are supposed to get title to any ship they free from the pirates together with ownership of any treasure - that would be cargo. It also won't be given a chance because most nations would freak over the idea of armed private vessels operating anywhere. And the idea of offering a bounty for every pirate killed or captured wouldn't go over too well with touchy-feely wing of the Democrats.