[quote=esmith]Of course, no mention of women and children who starve to death because of Americans’ refusal to pay ransom.[/quote]
esmith: Really? So, in your mind, this is a legitimate business enterprise? Americans should just pay the ransom, right? Because all of those pirates are simply there as family men.
This is worse than moral equivalency; this is moral infantilism. I worked counterinsurgency when I was in the Army and I’ll tell you this: Those SEALs waxing those pirates will send a very clear message and the OP captures it perfectly. In the French: “Pour encourager les autres”.
