Somali Pirates: "Daily Show" On The Case (VIDEO)

So, everyone likes pirates. Dressing like them, talking like them. Later, riding on Disney rollercoasters dedicated to their illustrated history of pillage and Johnny Depp-style ambisexuality. But even as the media focuses on the Somali pirate saga as one of their Shiny New Post-Election Things, it's worth noting that there are important issues knit up in the story that deserve attention. In a thoughtful post yesterday, Matthew Yglesias elucidated one of them:

But of course there are real policy issues here. In particular, at the end of the day it's not easy to fight pirates at sea. The ocean is extremely large, boats move around, and circumstances are generally unfavorable to law enforcement. You need to fight the piracy on land. If you tried to run a pirate ring out of San Diego, you wouldn't get very far -- there are police in southern California. But Somalia has, obviously, been in a state of political chaos for a long time now. And when the country looked like it was heading for a measure of political stability under the Islamic Courts Movement, the US decided it would be smart to back an Ethiopian invasion-and-occupation of the country that ultimate wound up resulting in more chaos than ever. But whatever you think of the past, going forward you would ultimately want to solve this issue on land. In other words, by creating some kind of political stability in Somalia.

And, then, later that night, a historical first! The first ever Daily Show sketch adapted from Yglesias' blog!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

The Buccaneer Stops Here

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Comments

[darthdarcy]

"Argh, yea getz in the hole, and I'll hand you, the Treasury...argh..!"

Pirate Hank Paulson...

[jchflorida]

The dramatic increase in ships taken hostage for ransom seems a bit too easy in my opinion . The Somali pirates have brought in millions and are obviously well funded . Reports indicate that hostages are treated well to the point of even being fed food from their various countries rather than the local fare. Whats to keep a crew from contacting the pirates and simply sailing into their ports for a cut of the ransom?

[helonias]

Just mount 1 Vulcan Phalanx 20 mm CIWS on each ships. There are 100's of these available from moth balled US Navy ships.

120 rounds a second of 20mm ammo will deter most folks and if they wanna fight it has a much longer range than anything the pirates have.

[TheBlackCat]

Great skit, but being serious for a moment...

It's a really sad situation. Most of these pirates aren't evil bloodthirsty men, they're starving teenage orphaned boys. In Somalia, they still STONE you for minor offenses. It's not that rare for orphaned CHILDREN to be stoned in public squares for stealing food.

So if the punishment for doing what you need to survive is death ANYWAYS, why not think big? If you're going to get the same punishment for stealing an apple that you would for the lucrative task of stealing ships and killing people...why would you stop at just the apple?

[benman]

Isn't this exactly what motivated pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries?

[helonias]

And its not uncommon for US to blow up innocent folks to little pieces with missiles fire from drones.

[Just Joe]

you know, I love the Daily Show and watch it on a regular basis, but I actually found this one offensive.
People are being held hostage, and I suppose since they aren't American, it doesn't hit home with us, but I thought this one was really inappropriate.
After my initial shock, I switched the channel away.

[rektruax]

Just_Toughen_Up_Joe

[lisakaz2]

But if the ransom is paid, they are released with the ship. This is why a lot of crews don't fight 'em. These guys just want some money. They don't want the oil or guns -- or at least so far they don't. And it seems to me (courtesy of the Indian Army) only they have died. Have you seen a source where it says a hostage has died?

[Durango]

i think you missed the point.

I didn't see them making fun of piracy. I saw them making fun of John Oliver.

And just being silly. They are a comedy show after all.

Besides, when you are a comedy show . . . How could you possibly resist?

[wndrwrthg]

Pirates by their very nature are going to operate in areas that are lucritive. That narrows the area of operation, so more resorces could be allocated in those areas. You can effectively fight them on the water, history shows this. It is a two fronted war, that actually can be won and the sea is the key.

[ElBruce]

Dance, Englishman, dance!

It's pretty straightforward Daily Show stuff - presenting an extremely desperate situation in a silly context. It's how a lot of young people manage to stomach receiving actual world news through this venue.

Admit it - most of you found out more about the Somalian piracy situation from watching this clip than from the NYT article, didn't you? I checked out both, and this one was factually more informative, and vastly more fun.

[lisakaz2]

I can't say my knowledge base was moved forward by the piece (I had known about the pirates for a while) but it was fun and informative.

[weatherwaxx]

at the end of the day it's not easy to fight pirates at sea.

This is true. You should get an early start, first thing in the morning.

[Timma]

GOOD HUMOR!!!

[Twinklestar]

Jon Stewart's brilliant. =) Even if the sketch isn't always brilliant, he is.

[realtalking]

John Stewart needs to hang it up or Start getting Stephen Colbert to start writing his comedy sketches for him.
John Stewart needs to stick to what he was doing best for years, and that finding funny video clips of politicians doing stupid things, and saying stupid things, and doing funny commentaries on them, because he obviously has NO SKILL in writing comedy, NONE!!

[iBlog4Fun]

You realized that Colbert is produced by Jon Stewart, yes?
And that there are TEAMS of writers and not just Jon Stewart or Colbert?
and that both teams sometimes work and share the material together, yes?

Clues for sale. Everything must go!!

[BeMellow]

:) How can one even compare them. Just love them both, for for different reasons.

[Banji81]

Now now, that's not quite true...

[mzonic]

Yeah. Teams (probably same team) of writers write the jokes. Colbert and Stewart just performs.

[Durango]

Look at the credits.

Stewart is a writer as well as the performer.

As is Colbert.

if you don't find them funny why watch? And why post?

Personally, my life would be that much bleaker low these many years if it was not for Stewart and Colbert. My heroes!

[lisakaz2]

This was an awesome bit. Kudos to Mr. Oliver (who I thought was awfully cute in his uni) and Mr. Stewart.

[wadenelson1]

Just about the funniest thing I've ever seen. Right up there with the Bass-o-matic.

[lisakaz2]

That was good but I liked Shimmer better (blending a fish was a bit gross).