On Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:24:00 -0400, Eisboch wrote:


I was reading about the Barbary Pirates and Jefferson. According to
the historical accounts, the US Navy sailors went out of their way to
make examples of captured pirates. They were mutilated, decapitated,
heads were put on pikes and displayed to remaining pirates to see and
get impressions of.

Nice guys, those early sailors.

Hell, it might have been jealousy talking. Most of the pirate ships of
the "Golden Age" were democracies. Captains were elected. Their cruises
could be highly lucrative to all of the crew. Injured crewmen were even
compensated for injuries. Contrast that with traditional ships where the
Captain was all powerful, floggings were a common occurrence, and many
crew were pressed into service.