Ghana Pres. Works for Day When Pirates Arrgh No Import Export Downside

One issue hindering ocean freight worldwide delivery to and from Africa is piracy. Might Ghana’s new president assist give African import and export enterprise new life by preventing piracy?

Once I was a child pirates held a sure caché, particularly the caché of swashbuckling rebels refusing to bow to the tyranny of day by day life (form of like Robin Hood). Pirates had been “romantic”, although I might not have used that phrase. I might have mentioned they had been “cool” most likely. This was as a result of my whole data of them was primarily based on movies I had seen.

The bungling, comedian Pirates of Penzance sang and danced their means out and in of hazard, all the time taking pity on orphans they encountered. The character of pirate Lengthy John Silver in Disney’s movie adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island “arrgh”ed his means into my trainer’s coronary heart. Sure, she confirmed us the movie as an alternative of getting us learn the guide. His Somerset accent was THE pirate accent to finish all pirate accents! His seemingly fierce demeanor alternated together with his charming mischievousness as he revealed his compassion for younger Jim. Goonies’ One-eyed Willy was ruthless too, in his means, however type to children. These pirate guys had been enjoyable AND cool! (We are going to simply ignore the swarthy semi-racist depiction of pirates in Disney’s Swiss Household Robinson who had been a lot much less charming!)

Then, in fact, there was the conversion of top-of-the-line rides at Disneyland – Pirates of the Caribbean– right into a full-length movie starring at least Johnny Depp because the intelligent, humorous, and lovable Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirates had been BACK and so they had been cooler than ever. So cool that I elected to learn and write a analysis paper about them for a category I took referred to as Terrorism in school. No, I wasn’t studying methods to be a terrorist. Sure, that joke acquired previous quick.

In my analysis, a salacious guide about pirate homosexuality caught my consideration. Perhaps Johnny Depp learn the guide too and it contributed to the flamboyant flare he gave Captain Jack Sparrow. Nevertheless, it’s extra probably the story that Keith Richards impressed Depp’s portrayal of the character is true. Nonetheless, after studying the guide piracy wasn’t so romantic, however it was nonetheless simply as fascinating.

The subsequent pure step in trying into piracy was to contemplate trendy piracy, and right here the romance gone fully. Pirates had been scary, emaciated, determined males in open boats with automated weapons mounted to their prows, stealing bulk items, cargo containers, and holding crews for ransom from hulking ocean freighters. The place had been the sails? The gold? The swords? The swashbuckling? Disney promised me swashbuckling!

Fashionable piracy has no romance for Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama. He has been working towards finalizing a pact with the leaders of neighboring nations to scale back piracy in opposition to worldwide cargo delivery within the Gulf of Guinea, treacherous waters often known as a hang-out of pirates off the coast of West Africa.

Mahama hopes thus to advertise nautical security and to encourage worldwide export in West Africa.[1] It is a actual want, as Africa is the continent least frequented by worldwide delivery corporations, with the best import prices, and lowest freight quantity ports[2]. Piracy is likely one of the contributing components to this deficit. The invention of oil deposits offshore[3] have put Ghana on the map so far as import and export oil enterprise goes and it’s within the nation’s greatest pursuits to suppress piracy within the space.

Mahama was sworn in as president in July after the dying of much-loved President Atta Mills. One of many new president’s goals is to enhance nautical security for Ghana and her neighbors within the Gulf of Guinea. This can be achieved by means of just lately acquired patrol ships and vessel monitoring units. Mahama has generously positioned these instruments on the disposal not simply of his personal countrymen, however these of his neighboring nations as nicely. Such breadth of imaginative and prescient and generosity is spectacular in part of the world the place governments are sometimes unstable at greatest, corrupt and exploitative at worst.

It’s early to have a full impression of latest president Mahama, however I’m disposed to be impressed on the spirit of co-operation he has promoted up to now alongside West Africa’s coast. If he continues as he has begun he’s more likely to improve the soundness and prosperity of his nation. With priceless pure assets like oil, and secure leaders, Ghana is poised to broaden its position within the worldwide import and export world economic system, making Ghana and the West African coast a friendlier place for ocean freight.

Perhaps America might take a lesson in worldwide relations from the nation of Ghana and its new president. When was the final time you heard a couple of politician lending an airplane or warehouse to the Mexican authorities in an effort to assist cease crime?