Under the black flag (ahoy me pirates)

The heroes you should be following...

The heresy of Napster has become the orthodoxy of Spotify.

I.

As rebels against a social order that is oppressing them, those who turn to piracy are critiquing the economic and political systems that have seen them disenfranchised. It was precisely in the emerging capitalism of the 17th and 18th centuries – in the golden age of exploration, where empires fought to expand their dominions and wealth by exploiting colonies – that we saw the golden age of piracy too. Fed up with making greedy princes and merchants rich through plunder, they decided to rob from the plunderers.

II.

Somali piracy can be read in this light too, and one interesting episode is worth noting. The French luxury yacht Le Ponant was captured in 2008 by a group of pirates. 

Le Ponant was the picture of the good life: a mixed crew of young men and women, sailing a fabulously luxurious boat to the Med to pick up passengers – with a good chef and plenty of wine on board. When captured, the crew hid the women of the boat in the bows, but, unable to last out they emerged after a few days. 

The pirates were furious, as William Langewiesche described in his article for Vanity Fair: (http://tinyurl.com/ahrmsq)

“We do not touch women! We want money!” Referring to himself and his men, he said, “Robbers! Not terrorists!” Ahmed escorted the group aft to the luxurious lower lounge, where he ordered that the women be provided with water and food. When the water arrived, he sent it back for being lukewarm.

III.

Further, the supposedly picture-perfect scene that the pirates had disturbed was not quite what it seemed. Le Ponant was registered in the far-flung French protectorate of Wallis and Fatuna. This meant that they could fly the French flag – very nice for the tourists – but didn’t have to abide by any French employment or tax laws. As Langewieshe describes conditions for the crew:

The wages were low, the hours were long, and no retirement benefits were provided. During rotations ashore there were no wages at all. These terms were non-negotiable. They stemmed from the culture of a global shipping industry which over the past 60 years has pursued profit and efficiency in part by ridding itself of labor unions, and more fundamentally by freeing itself from the constraints of the nation-state and its laws.

So, although they initially feared for their lives when attacked, one could say that the crew were in some respects more free during that time of occupation than they were under the oppressive regime of their employers. For those of you who enjoy eating paint, I’m saying the crew were treated better by the pirates than their bosses. A tough sell, sure but either way, this leads us to a clue about why pirates remain so fascinating to us and threatening to the powers that be: they offer us a life that is more free.

IV.

The pirate life was a short one by all accounts, but it at least had the advantage of liberty – and merriment. For those living in the shadow of St Paul’s cathedral in 1741 London, reading Captain Johnson’s bawdy book on pirate exploits was an escape from the drudgery of their pretty grim lives. Working like dogs, with the twin powers of the merchants and the priesthood ready to pounce of them if they stepped out of line, here was a breath of fresh air – a short and merry life by proxy. Pirates enthrall us in the same way. 

For those aboard the naval ships. Piracy provided the first glimpse of freedom, equality and notoriety. Women, slaves, handicapped and children could now be seen as equals and live (albeit short) lives of dignity. 

V.

The history of pirates that you have been taught has been written by their powerful victims and eventual conquerers. Its high time mate-tees that you sail away from the safe and corrupt and back into the dangerous high seas. Pirates are the logical and inevitable extension of controlled commerce; extremely skilled, and often navigated the shipping lanes with more knowledge and flexibility than even the military.  They worked for themselves, or they worked for the state, as the situation arose.

In the new world order, shipping is the internet; the goods are data. Just ask Napster and Anonymous.

N.