“This structure is always unevenly rigged, for such authorities have had an inordinate power both to define what counts as piracy and to weigh in on who may be called a pirate (Gaynor 821)”. This articulates my assertion, in that something is piracy if whoever is in charge calls it piracy, and that’s it. She goes on to say, “[The way pirates are classified] greatly depends, in the present as in the past, on how legality and legitimacy are constituted and claimed in relation to sovereignty (Gaynor 822)”. Since the ocean isn’t necessarily easy to police and maritime laws were hard to create and enforce, punishment of pirates seemed like it was really determined by whoever caught them. The unofficial policing and prosecution of piracy was largely enforced by states who felt threatened by pirates and would do what they needed to stop
“This structure is always unevenly rigged, for such authorities have had an inordinate power both to define what counts as piracy and to weigh in on who may be called a pirate (Gaynor 821)”. This articulates my assertion, in that something is piracy if whoever is in charge calls it piracy, and that’s it. She goes on to say, “[The way pirates are classified] greatly depends, in the present as in the past, on how legality and legitimacy are constituted and claimed in relation to sovereignty (Gaynor 822)”. Since the ocean isn’t necessarily easy to police and maritime laws were hard to create and enforce, punishment of pirates seemed like it was really determined by whoever caught them. The unofficial policing and prosecution of piracy was largely enforced by states who felt threatened by pirates and would do what they needed to stop