[Fred Douglass]

..that: 1) Obama would be "tested" quite early into his administration and 2) the American public might "not like" the Administration's "response". Foist, it was N.Korea's missile launch....now this. No reaction to the latter. What's next?

It's also interesting to put Thomas Jefferson's reaction into perspective-----he was EXCEEDINGLY anti-navy. Mothballed all the ships he could, substituting little 100-foot schooners with one swivel-cannon amidships. They were knick-named "Jeffs" and one was flang many miles inland during a hurricane in the southeast. TJ's idea, re forts along the seacoast, embraced the "wisdom" of brick----yup, brick!----construction.

When the Barbary Pirate situation got intolerable, he called the vestiges of the "Federalist" navy into play and it did okay, with what it had. The "recapture" (burning) of the Philadelphia (our largest ship----really a third-rater rather than a mere frigate) was reflective of his anti-military policy. So was the burning of the national capital during the War of 1812.

I have e-mailed an old JAG friend to see what the international legal policy is, re captured pirates. In my humble view the following should transpire: 1) the USS Bainbridge should sink the foo keen pirates' boats (too bad they don't have 40 mm Bofors quad mounts, any more, eh?), 2) they should make an attempt at finding the appropriate jurisdiction for a trial, and, 3) not finding one convenient, turn these foo keen buzzards into pinatas----right off the (stern) taff-rail!