GOOD - BAD - BAD - GOOD
The Rules of Capt. Roberts
Sure, some Pirates were bad guys it's true, then again some Cops are bad, some Doctors, most
Politicians and so on, there is good and bad in Humanity.
When the majority of us must constantly suffer the indignations of being classed as Bad to a man,
it can feel 'uncool'.
But on the other hand, Pirates get laughed at more than Clowns.
Testimony to a working 'Democratic Socialism' by Captain Bartholomew Roberts and his crew in 1720, a hundred years before Socialism entered the political arena of Europe and adapted from Peiran rules as laid down by solon.
THE RULES OF CAPT ROBERTS
Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted. Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.
None shall game for money either with dice or cards. The lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights. Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death. He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning. None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner.
At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draweth first blood shall be declared the victor. No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of 1,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately. The captain and the quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only by right. On all other days by favor only. If a member of the crew were to rape a woman he would be put to death or be marooned.
From these rules it is easy to calculate the state of mind and depth of Respect within a team. There is nothing in these rules that show Pirates to be in anyway like Hollywood and 'distorted' history or false legends constantly promote.
Thanks for getting is far down the page and I hope you find the following explanation of how Good and Bad is envisioned by Peiran Pirates. (taken from a true story.) One day, a small baby of 4 years of age wandered onto the road, at that same moment a truck speed round the bend.
The baby in the road was gonna die. But a Guy ran into the road and scooped up the baby. He saved the baby and was a Hero, a real total Hero, who amongst us could possibly deny that? 27 years later, the baby now a man, turns out to be a Serial Killer, killed seven people, possibly more. So what happens now? We were all agreed that the guy who saved the baby was a 100% hero but now time and events seriously challenge opinions as to whether in fact the Guy was a Hero.
For sure the familes of the Serial Killer victims would have preferred the truck hit the baby, for them the Hero did Bad not Good. Nothing is constant, good today is bad tomorrow and the day after it could be good again. Good can also be Bad and therefore Bad can also be Good.
Ask anyone and they will tell you Saddam Hussein was a real bad guy, it is said that he killed 138 people. America and Allies took this bad guy out by inventing the Iraq war which indeed took Saddam out. The cost of 'removing' Saddam? Almost a million dead and people in Iraq continue to die every day. So just how Bad was Saddam to justify such incredible Human costs? During this conflict US war planes bombed villages. Painted on the tails of the warplanes was the scull and crossbones, (see site docs),so during these bombings the villagers saw my flag on the plane that was hailing down shit on these defensless people. Did the survivors think it was Pirates who bombed them? Who knows? In any case Pirates get the Bad publicity. Does the US Air Force now own my flag and hide behind it? Where was the mighty American flag?, hiding in shame? And what has a filthy, corrupt and unjustified war got to do with me, my Brethren and my Ancestral Peiran Pirates and our Flag?
Good or Bad therefore leaves us Pirates indifferent.
Testimony to a working 'Democratic Socialism' by Captain Bartholomew Roberts and his crew in 1720, a hundred years before Socialism entered the political arena of Europe and adapted from Peiran rules as laid down by solon.
THE RULES OF CAPT ROBERTS
Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted. Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.
None shall game for money either with dice or cards. The lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights. Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death. He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning. None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner.
At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draweth first blood shall be declared the victor. No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of 1,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately. The captain and the quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only by right. On all other days by favor only. If a member of the crew were to rape a woman he would be put to death or be marooned.
From these rules it is easy to calculate the state of mind and depth of Respect within a team. There is nothing in these rules that show Pirates to be in anyway like Hollywood and 'distorted' history or false legends constantly promote.
Thanks for getting is far down the page and I hope you find the following explanation of how Good and Bad is envisioned by Peiran Pirates. (taken from a true story.) One day, a small baby of 4 years of age wandered onto the road, at that same moment a truck speed round the bend.
The baby in the road was gonna die. But a Guy ran into the road and scooped up the baby. He saved the baby and was a Hero, a real total Hero, who amongst us could possibly deny that? 27 years later, the baby now a man, turns out to be a Serial Killer, killed seven people, possibly more. So what happens now? We were all agreed that the guy who saved the baby was a 100% hero but now time and events seriously challenge opinions as to whether in fact the Guy was a Hero.
For sure the familes of the Serial Killer victims would have preferred the truck hit the baby, for them the Hero did Bad not Good. Nothing is constant, good today is bad tomorrow and the day after it could be good again. Good can also be Bad and therefore Bad can also be Good.
Ask anyone and they will tell you Saddam Hussein was a real bad guy, it is said that he killed 138 people. America and Allies took this bad guy out by inventing the Iraq war which indeed took Saddam out. The cost of 'removing' Saddam? Almost a million dead and people in Iraq continue to die every day. So just how Bad was Saddam to justify such incredible Human costs? During this conflict US war planes bombed villages. Painted on the tails of the warplanes was the scull and crossbones, (see site docs),so during these bombings the villagers saw my flag on the plane that was hailing down shit on these defensless people. Did the survivors think it was Pirates who bombed them? Who knows? In any case Pirates get the Bad publicity. Does the US Air Force now own my flag and hide behind it? Where was the mighty American flag?, hiding in shame? And what has a filthy, corrupt and unjustified war got to do with me, my Brethren and my Ancestral Peiran Pirates and our Flag?
Good or Bad therefore leaves us Pirates indifferent.
Capt. Bartholomew Roberts
