History Main / ADisgraceToBlackbeard

* ''DeadliestWarrior'' will have the Somali pirates do battle against the Madellin Drug Cartel.

Malaysian and Indonesian pirates, on the other hand, live up to their reputation in creative ways that would make Type 1 pirates proud of yore. Instead of walking the plank, for instance, they like to leave crewmembers stranded in shallow water coral reefs 50 miles off the coast, where they have to stand on tip-toes waiting for a passing ship. This is to ensure you don't call for help while the ship is still in the vicinity. And that is if they don't [[LeaveNoSurvivors execute everyone on board]] -- whereas the Somalis make millions on ransom alone.

* In ''[[UnchartedDrakesFortune Uncharted: Drake's Fortune?]]'' All the enemies are modern pirates. Nathan even comments on how far they are from the idealized notion of old-timey pirates. "They don't take prisoners... well, not ''male'' prisoners."

* The PG-rated rated modern pirates Captain Barnibus Crab, Kim and Simon are the main bad guys in the third series of the ''FlipperAndLopaka'' animated series.

* The ChaosTimeline has the modern Red Pirates of the Socialist Block, which rob ships of the capitalist nations. And also Nipponese terrorists doing this, who are even worse.

[[TheLifeAquaticWithSteveZissou http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tla-pirates.jpg]]
[[caption-width:350:What [[IncrediblyLamePun ARRRRRRRRRR]] they, hijackers?]]

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* The PG-rated rated modern pirates Captain Barnibus Crab, Kim and Simon are the main bad guys in the third series of the ''FlipperAndLopaka'' animated series.

Ironically, Somali pirates don't always live up to their reputation for viciousness. They tend to be village fishermen who graduated from one of Somalia's many militias, and captives (especially Chinese and Westerners, but they'll take ransom from anyone really) tend to be [[IWantThemAlive more valuable alive]]. Many were motivated by [[http://www.eaglespeak.us/2007/11/protecting-somalias-fishing-grounds.html the exploitation of Somalia's fishing grounds by other nations]] in the absence of a federal authority to police them although in recent years they seem to have little interest in targeting foreign fishers in favor of more profitable vessels. But they're not averse to killing you if you don't cooperate. Not only that, but Somali pirates captured tend to get released, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant unless they kill Americans]], since there is no authority in Somalia to release them to. (The "regional government" there is supported by a tax on piracy). Not much different from historical pirates, just... less style.

Ironically, Somali pirates don't always live up to their reputation for viciousness. They tend to be village fishermen who graduated from one of Somalia's many militias, and captives (especially Chinese and Westerners, but they'll take ransom from anyone really) tend to be [[IWantThemAlive more valuable alive]]. Many are motivated by [[http://www.eaglespeak.us/2007/11/protecting-somalias-fishing-grounds.html the exploitation of Somalia's fishing grounds by other nations]] in the absence of a federal authority to police them. But they're not averse to killing you if you don't cooperate. Not only that, but Somali pirates captured tend to get released, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant unless they kill Americans]], since there is no authority in Somalia to release them to. (The "regional government" there is supported by a tax on piracy). Not much different from historical pirates, just... less style.

Ironically, Somali pirates don't always live up to their reputation for viciousness. They tend to be village fishermen who graduated from one of Somalia's many militias, and captives (especially Chinese and Westerners, but they'll take ransom from anyone really) tend to be [[IWantThemAlive more valuable alive]]. But they're not averse to killing you if you don't cooperate. Not only that, but Somali pirates captured tend to get released, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant unless they kill Americans]], since there is no authority in Somalia to release them to. (The "regional government" there is supported by a tax on piracy). Not much different from historical pirates, just... less style.

* In {{Clear And Present Danger}}, an act of piracy leads to an attempt by the U.S. government to systematically assasinate the leaders of drug cartels in revenge.

* The DirkPitt novel ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Vortex! Pacific Vortex]]'' features pirates using a modern legend as a cover for ship captures.

* From James Lee Burke's ''The Neon Rain'' (narrated by main character Dave Robicheaux):

-->Now these same bayous, canals, and marshlands where I had grown up were used by the Barataria pirates. But their namesakes, Jean Lafitte's collection of brigands and slavers, were romantic figures by comparison. The current group was made up of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin smugglers who would murder a whole family out on the Gulf simply for the one-time use of their boat, after which they'd open up the cocks and sink it. Occasionally the Coast Guard would find one half-filled with water and beached on a sandbar, the gunwales painted with blood.

* From James Lee Burke's ''Neon Rain'' (narrated by main character Dave Robicheaux):

* The first mission of the computer game ''Comanche 4'' deals with the US army fighting the pirates of Indonesia.

Then again, this characterization is exactly how pirates were viewed during the Golden Age of Piracy and many of them lived up to (or down to) this reputation. Perhaps 400 years from now, Somalian pirates will be viewed as romantic rogues. Also in the defense of modern piracy methods, the entire venture cannot work without at least some decent degree of stealth, i.e. independence from worldwide law enforcement. The use of vessels like Blackbeard's ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' or Bartholomew Roberts' ("Black Bart's") ''Royal Fortune'' would be easily visible by satellite imagery, and even if a modern pirate could take control an extremely hyper-fast and -powerful ship on the order of a US Navy destroyer, most every nation in the world would almost certainly launch immediate near-limitless-resource missions to hunt down and destroy it. In other words, piracy, like any other form of criminal enterprise, was forced to [[TechnologyMarchesOn change with the times]], or die.

Then again, this characterization is exactly how pirates were viewed during the Golden Age of Piracy and many of them lived up to (or down to) this reputation. Perhaps 400 years from now, Somalian pirates will be viewed as romantic rogues. Also in the defense of modern piracy methods, the entire venture cannot work without at least some decent degree of stealth, i.e. independence from worldwide law enforcement. The use of vessels like Blackbeard's ''Queen Anne's Revenge'' or Bartholomew Roberts' ("Black Bart's") ''Royal Fortune'' would be easily visible by satellite imagery, and even if a modern pirate could take control an extremely fast and powerful modern ship on the order of a US Navy destroyer, most every nation in the world would almost certainly launch immediate near-limitless-resource missions to hunt down and destroy it. In other words, piracy, like any other form of criminal enterprise, was forced to [[TechnologyMarchesOn change with the times]], or die.

TruthInTelevision: Pirates, or more politically correctly, maritime terrorists, still roam the waters today (mostly off the coast of UsefulNotes/{{Somalia}}, West Africa and the Straits of Malacca). This trope is about them.

Of course, this characterization is exactly how pirates were viewed during the Golden Age of Piracy and many of them lived up to (or down to) this reputation. Perhaps 400 years from now, Somalian pirates will be viewed as romantic rogues.

TruthInTelevision: Pirates still roam the waters today (mostly off the coast of UsefulNotes/{{Somalia}}, West Africa and the Straits of Malacca). This trope is about them.

Ironically, Somali pirates don't always live up to their reputation for viciousness. They tend to be village fishermen who graduated from one of Somalia's many militias, and captives (especially Chinese and Westerners, but they'll take ransom from anyone really) tend to be [[IWantThemAlive more valuable alive]]. But they're not averse to killing you if you don't cooperate. Not only that, but Somali pirates captured tend to get released, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant unless they kill Americans]], since there is no authority in Somalia to release them to. (The "regional government" there is supported by a tax on piracy). [[SoYeah So yeah, not much different]] from historical pirates, just... less style.