Good question.
On the one hand it would be humanitarian to use it to secure their release.
On the other hand it would only encourage more incidents of the same kind.
Why not use the money to lure the kidnappers into a situation where the Candlers can be rescued and said kidnappers be executed as an example to any other would be pirates in that region? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Why not use the money to lure the kidnappers into a situation where the Candlers can be rescued and said kidnappers be executed as an example to any other would be pirates in that region?"
For two reasons:
1) That just isn't the British way of doing things, and..
2) The kidnapped couple knew perfectly well they were sailing into a piracy hotspot and, whilst I have every sympathy for them and agree that everything possible that can be done should be done, it should be accomplished through diplomatic means. Not with money paid the British people who are continually told that it will be going to worthwhile causes. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Paying ransom is one of them questions your never going to agree on, as human beings with feelings you have to say yes, lifes worth more than money and saving two peoples lifes is worth a bit of lottery money BUT if we pay up in this way your just giving an open invite to anyone to kidnap people knowing we are going to pay because 'its only lottery money' so where do you draw the line? |
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"Why not use the money to lure the kidnappers into a situation where the Candlers can be rescued and said kidnappers be executed as an example to any other would be pirates in that region?
For two reasons:
1) That just isn't the British way of doing things, and..
2) The kidnapped couple knew perfectly well they were sailing into a piracy hotspot and, whilst I have every sympathy for them and agree that everything possible that can be done should be done, it should be accomplished through diplomatic means. Not with money paid the British people who are continually told that it will be going to worthwhile causes."
I always thought the british were the biggest nation of pirates ever to sail the high seas to begin with though. 
Or is that a part of history I'm supposed to patriotically forget?
This is Somalia we're talking about here. Having met a couple of Somalians and talked to them about the conditions which exist in their country I can assure you diplomacy will not work. This is a land ruled by the fastest gun not the fancyest word. A place where life is cheap and bullets almost more frequent in the air than flies.
How they got into the scrape matters little after the fact but personally I think any means should be used to secure their safe release and make those seas safe for everyone to sail. If it takes money I've paid into the lottery to do it then I have no problem with that. |
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"what is the navy for? surely we can just blow the buggers out of the water - wouldnt mind paying for that"
I don't think it warrants having a very expensive warship patrolling the (very extensive) waters off of Somalia in order to protect the odd foolish Yacht owner.
It costs the British taxpayer £125,000 a day to have HMS Ocean on the water, we would need a lot of these ships to patrol the waters off of Somalia....just to pamper a few yacht owners. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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i dont know where i stand on this? obviously i would like to see the couple freed and back home but then again as someone else said it opens the floodgates for me of these incidents and as someone else said lure the captors and blow them out the water sounds tempting?? i just dont know cause il never be in that position i get sick on a pedalo!! feel really sorry for the couple though xx |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"what is the navy for? surely we can just blow the buggers out of the water - wouldnt mind paying for that
I don't think it warrants having a very expensive warship patrolling the (very extensive) waters off of Somalia in order to protect the odd foolish Yacht owner.
It costs the British taxpayer £125,000 a day to have HMS Ocean on the water, we would need a lot of these ships to patrol the waters off of Somalia....just to pamper a few yacht owners."
surely attelite technology and a nato effort would be better spent here than on an unwinnable war in afghanistan - |
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Protecting the odd yacht owner off of Somalia verses tackling Islamic extremists in Afghanistan to cut down the chances of terror attacks in the UK...do you honestly believe that it's a better use of defence spending? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Hmmmmm, complicated one.
Should lottery money be spent on people who put themselves in the danger zone?
Well, no I think on balance.
IF you pay then it encourages the pirates ( although I think they will do the same regardless of encouragement) because they live in a country that leaves few if any opportunities to live a safe and comfortable life.
The wars and civil unrest, lack of government, lack of political will to provide for the citizens of their own country allows this type of behaviour to impact the rest of the world.
However as this is common knowledge sailing your yacht into areas regarded "at risk" means you have agreed to these risks and dont require anyone else to risk their lives to rescue them.
There are more demands in the UK from genuine deserving people on the money and time that the lottery can provide, this funding should be better spent elsewhere.
There is also a case for hillwalkers who go out unprepared, pot-holers who get stuck underground, mountain climbers, people who go miles out to sea on airbeds etc, the list goes on and on. All of these people force others to risk lives, helicopters, lifeboats etc and the funding which they require to be used through poor choices being made. If there was an insurance bond ( payment required) that meant if you had to be rescued then you would be required to pay, if you were not at fault the insurance pays, if you were at fault you are required to pay, this might deter the ones who seem to think its OK to risk others lives to rescue them no matter how "risky" the situation. |
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It's an emotive subject.
On one hand, I do feel for the family, and the couple who, although perhaps very aware of the risks, decided that life should be challenged, not endured, and so decided to give it a go.
On the other hand, Lottery cash is supposed to be for "good causes", and although this would be a nice thing to do, it's not meant to be used to fund some scumbag pirates lifestyle.
Not sure what the outcome will be, but for this particular incident, I hope that the foreign office get their collective arse in gear and get it sorted.
As for the future, I think "bait ships" should be used..... small innocuous craft that bely their true nature, which is a heavily armed "mallet" with which to smack pirates with. Word would soon get round and I am sure the incidents of piracy would diminish.
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