Me two days ago: “Oh, this petitioner is a Sov Cit.”
Law clerk: “How do you know?”
Me: “You learn how to identify them from how they write their pleading.”
*Today in Court*
Petitioner: “I have a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO TRAVEL WHICH AS A FLESH AND BLOOD MAN…”
Me, to law clerk: “See?”
Judge: “Sir, Mr. Badger is an attorney.”
Petitioner: “DOES HE HAVE A LETTER OF MARQUE OR POWER OF ATTORNEY?”
Me: “Your honor, I will represent to the court that while I am not a privateer I am licensed by the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth under Bar ID [123456].”
Judge: “Noted.”
I actually hot bored enough a few years ago to make myself a letter of marque signed by John Hancock.
Blank included if anyone feels like doing the same.
There was a Florida guy in the '80s (I think?) who tried to get Congress to issue him a Letter of Marque so he could raid drug shipments. They declined.
That said, there's no reason that they couldn't say yes another time. There's a whole series of articles from the US Naval Institute arguing that the US has retained the right to create privateers, and that they are still legal under some readings of international law...
Rep. Goodin (R - TX), apparently. A bill was drafted and referred to committee, where I suspect it was summarily ignored, which is... probably for the best, all things considered. www.congress.gov/bill/117th-c...
While the US is *not* a signatory to the Paris Declaration of 1856 (which more-or-less abolished privateering,) the US has stated upon several occasions that US policy requires adherence to the principles of the Declaration even if the US has not signed it.
Requesting to know whether you have letters of marque seems like an invitation to throw some Gilbert & Sullivan in and explain why you are the very model of a badger litigational.
Apparently not. There is a treaty whereby a bunch of countries have banned it for themselves, but only 42 nations have signed it, and the US is not one. And Ron Paul twice tried to bring them back for use against Terrorists and Somali Pirates respectively.
Of course he did.
There's probably a movie premise in there somewhere, but where you get an appropriately armed ship is the first mystery. @dreadships.bsky.social , any thoughts? (Re issuing letters of marque and reprisal)
With the proper paperwork U.S. Citizens can own automatic weapons, or anti-material weapons, powerful enough to give any freelance redistributionist a one-way ticket to Davy Jones’ Locker. Put it on your ship, make sure it won’t roll you, and you’re all set.
It's harder to do ship board if you're calling at other ports. Which anyone operating around the horn of Africa would have to. Whether you'll be treated as an unflagged warship or just nailed for weapons violations, it won't go well. A letter of marque might get you treated as a flagged warship.
