Letters of Marque and Reprisal

[Husky_Khan]

The Libertarian Republican Senator from Utah Mike Lee posted a ten tweet long thread explaining why he endorses the idea of exploring the use of letters of marque and reprisal to help weaken Drug Cartels.

Thread by @BasedMikeLee on Thread Reader App

@BasedMikeLee: 🧵 1/ What Are Letters Of Marque And Reprisal And How Could They Be Used To Weaken Drug Cartels? 🚨 2/ Letters of marque and reprisal are government-issued commissions that authorize private citizens (p...…

threadreaderapp.com

Looks like @Bacle's maddening suggestions have finally been validated by the highest halls of US Governance and Constitutionally mandated power.

 

[Bacle]

The Libertarian Republican Senator from Utah Mike Lee posted a ten tweet long thread explaining why he endorses the idea of exploring the use of letters of marque and reprisal to help weaken Drug Cartels.

Thread by @BasedMikeLee on Thread Reader App

@BasedMikeLee: 🧵 1/ What Are Letters Of Marque And Reprisal And How Could They Be Used To Weaken Drug Cartels? 🚨 2/ Letters of marque and reprisal are government-issued commissions that authorize private citizens (p...…

threadreaderapp.com

Looks like @Bacle's maddening suggestions have finally been validated by the highest halls of US Governance and Constitutionally mandated power.

To be fair, I only started seriously talking about them after some of Mr. Lee's speeches under Biden suggesting the usage of Letters of Marque hit the net.

Before that, I didn't realize they were still legal under US law.

 

[Simonbob]

To be fair, I only started seriously talking about them after some of Mr. Lee's speeches under Biden suggesting the usage of Letters of Marque hit the net.

Before that, I didn't realize they were still legal under US law.

Huh.

I honestly have mixed opinions about the idea.

On one hand, you're paying people to do things like hunt drug traffickers, with all the interesting incentives included. On the other, it also gives a good reason to have a fully armed WW2 destroyer with upgrades as a personal transport and busness expense.

And Tax rightoff!

 

[ATP]

To be fair, I only started seriously talking about them after some of Mr. Lee's speeches under Biden suggesting the usage of Letters of Marque hit the net.

Before that, I didn't realize they were still legal under US law.

I thought that it is illegall,too.
But,if you could use it...why not?
Especially becouse:

Huh.

I honestly have mixed opinions about the idea.

On one hand, you're paying people to do things like hunt drug traffickers, with all the interesting incentives included. On the other, it also gives a good reason to have a fully armed WW2 destroyer with upgrades as a personal transport and busness expense.

And Tax rightoff!

Every healthy male want to have his own destroyer,and become pirate,i mean corsair !
I would add parrot and funny hat ,too !

 

[AnimalNoodles]

its a dumb idea.

You do realise the cartels will probably pay a visit to the families of people who participate in this? Leave this shit to the cops.

 

[Carrot of Truth]

its a dumb idea.

You do realise the cartels will probably pay a visit to the families of people who participate in this? Leave this shit to the cops.

If some crazy bastard wants to have a go at them let them have at it.

 

[Abhorsen]

To be fair, I only started seriously talking about them after some of Mr. Lee's speeches under Biden suggesting the usage of Letters of Marque hit the net.

Before that, I didn't realize they were still legal under US law.

They aren't currently legal.

They are allowed by the constitution, but the US signed a treaty which banned them, which in the US has similar status to a law. Note, since the law/treaty limits what the government can do, this doesn't violate the constitution, as it's not a "shall" statement.

So I think you'd first need to get a congressional law passed authorizing the letters of Marque and Reprisal.

 

[LordsFire]

They aren't currently legal.

They are allowed by the constitution, but the US signed a treaty which banned them, which in the US has similar status to a law. Note, since the law/treaty limits what the government can do, this doesn't violate the constitution, as it's not a "shall" statement.

So I think you'd first need to get a congressional law passed authorizing the letters of Marque and Reprisal.

Can you point to that treaty?

I thought the US was notable because it had not signed such treaties?

 

[Zachowon]

its a dumb idea.

You do realise the cartels will probably pay a visit to the families of people who participate in this? Leave this shit to the cops.

And then you bring upon more hellfire and brimstone

 

[Abhorsen]

Can you point to that treaty?

I thought the US was notable because it had not signed such treaties?

Huh, I looked it up, and you are right, the US didn't sign it. That certainly makes it politically easier to enact.

I do think you'd still need an act of congress though.

 

[Bacle]

If Letters do begin to be issued, private parties should be allowed to approach the museum ship organizations about purchasing/reactivating some of our older ships for privateer organizations.

A reactivated Fletcher would be more than enough to ruin the day of most nacro-subs/drug boats if provisioned with some upgraded sonar and new depth charges. Drones would make shit even easier to do, and it would make anti-poacher work easier too.

 

[Husky_Khan]

its a dumb idea.

You do realise the cartels will probably pay a visit to the families of people who participate in this? Leave this shit to the cops.

It'll probably be Private Security Companies like Academic/Blackwater that'd be doing these things if it ever actually became a thing.

Doubtful these letters or whatever would be issued to every Suburban Rambo Fudd who doesn't know any better.

 

[Abhorsen]

Why go by ship? Just ransomware their computers.

 

[Zachowon]

Why go by ship? Just ransomware their computers.

A lot of them are smart enough to not rely on that. Cash means more in thier world

 

[Carrot of Truth]

I believe if letters of marque actually became a thing then it would probably be PMC's going after the cartels rather than some private citizens

 

[S'task]

Huh, I looked it up, and you are right, the US didn't sign it. That certainly makes it politically easier to enact.

I do think you'd still need an act of congress though.

The US is interesting in that we often don't sign treaties that remove tools we don't consider immoral, whereas the arm control treaties we do sign up for and respect tend to be for weapons that are indiscriminate in deployment or just objectively immoral (IE Chemical and biological weapons). Meanwhile weapons that if you use responsibility and properly aren't indiscriminate that others have trouble using such, we refuse to sign onto, like the Land Mine treaties, because we refuse to give up valid tactical and strategic tools just because OTHER people spam them around like candy without proper records of deployment.

 

[S'task]

Additional though: regardless of if this happens in real life, Letters of Marque being authorized would be a GREAT justification for a modern tactical combat game similar to the Jagged Alliance series with the premise being you're running a PMC going against the cartels.

 

[ATP]

Why go by ship? Just ransomware their computers.

Becouse you need ship to pe CAPTAIN of pirate ship? even if you but parrot and funny hat,it is not the same if you do not have ship !

 

[Husky_Khan]

I believe if letters of marque actually became a thing then it would probably be PMC's going after the cartels rather some private citizens

That is what Mike Lee seemed to be referencing in his original recommendations as well. Plus the Letter part of Letters of Marque would likely imply that this sort of authorization (and subsequent review) would be applicable to certain groups, not just open up to the population at large.

 

[Carrot of Truth]

The US is interesting in that we often don't sign treaties that remove tools we don't consider immoral, whereas the arm control treaties we do sign up for and respect tend to be for weapons that are indiscriminate in deployment or just objectively immoral (IE Chemical and biological weapons). Meanwhile weapons that if you use responsibility and properly aren't indiscriminate that others have trouble using such, we refuse to sign onto, like the Land Mine treaties, because we refuse to give up valid tactical and strategic tools just because OTHER people spam them around like candy without proper records of deployment.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions is one treaty that comes to mind that the US didn't sign, Then again no major power actually signed that treaty which makes it kind of pointless.