Althouse: The pirate smiles the fabulous smile of celebrity.

April 21, 2009

The pirate smiles the fabulous smile of celebrity.

Enlarge.

Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, thinking I'm a big star in America now.

UPDATE: The pirate cries.

81 comments:

former law student said...: Smiling is a sign of submissiveness. He's trying to communicate, "Don't hurt me. I don't mean anyone any harm."; 4/21/09, 9:53 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: It's because he probably just looked up the word 'asylum' in the English/Somali dictionary.; 4/21/09, 9:54 AM
Anonymous said...: Have the leftist advocacy groups adopted him yet?; 4/21/09, 9:55 AM
paul a'barge said...: Dead man walking.

When Bubbah gets finished with him in Club Fed, this guy will be renamed the Holland Tunnel.; 4/21/09, 9:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Eddie Murphy will play him in the movie version.; 4/21/09, 10:04 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: He is smiling at his agent. Soon the book deal will be inked and a movie about his life will be started. Oh and he is going to Disney World.; 4/21/09, 10:07 AM
goesh said...: - he knows he has free therapy soon coming his way; 4/21/09, 10:13 AM
save_the_rustbelt said...: Half of the population of Somalia now lives on the east side of Columbus Ohio, another success of our crackerjack immigration enforcement system.

Six months from now he will be bagging groceries for the Kroger on East Main.; 4/21/09, 10:13 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: "Have the leftist advocacy groups adopted him yet?"

It will only take a day or two. They have to get guys like Bono and Cher on board first. Celebrities are always good for advocacy of altruistic idiocy.; 4/21/09, 10:20 AM
David said...: This guy is actually safer and more likely to get reliable food, clothing and medical care than he has been in his entire life. No wonder he is smiling. Once he sees a dentist he will smile even more.

Remember the notion that one of the best things that can happen for a nation's economy is to be invaded successfully by the United States? Same holds true on a smaller scale for individual pirates (as long as no Americans get hurt or killed in the process.); 4/21/09, 10:26 AM
The Dude said...: He has hit the jackpot. A life of leisure in the US has just become his future.; 4/21/09, 10:27 AM
Cedarford said...: Let the Rule of Law(yers) circus start!

The boy's Mom and 6 siblings are demanding the US bring them to America at taxpayers expense so they can support "their young child in the family", who the MOm claims is only 16 and no papers exist on.

He was flown here VIP in a single purpose trip military plane that was continously refueled mid-air so he couldn't claim asylum elsewhere before landing here.

He has a name "Wal-i" that will immediately be transformed into Wally. As he gathers supporters who want him freed and sent as a refugee to Minnesota until he can get US citizenship. He has never been to school in his life, so he can look forward to at least 10 years of welfare and free health care and schooling if he is freed.

Government lawyers, FBI, his "free" legal team, all the "investigators", extra "security heroes" guarding him, military people who will soon likely be dealing with hostages taken to force his release, and all the witnesses will involve dozens of collective man years that could be more productively spent by putting those Americans on productive things. Rather than on "justice" for a young, illiterate, thug pirate.

Tens of millions of our money will be spent on this "case". More if the end result is asylum and US citizenship for himself and his large family. It will be a great money-making opportunity for him - perhaps even more than the well-off lawyers will make off of him. Especially if he writes a book and his personal lawyers negotiate film rights to "Wally's Story".; 4/21/09, 10:29 AM
Bender R said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/21/09, 10:29 AM
Bender R said...: Smiling is a sign of contempt. He's loudly communicating, "You are pathetic and weak." He's laughing at America, just like the rest of the terrorist world is laughing at Obama's America.; 4/21/09, 10:31 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Contrary to the Andrew Sullivans this man’s smile speaks of someone who has no fear whatsoever that we are who Andrew says we are.

He’s smiling because he is here. I choose to take it as a tribute.; 4/21/09, 10:31 AM
john said...: Didn't he get to watch as his buddies from the 'hood, his class mates, his compadres, his brothers-in-arms, get their heads blown off with sniper rifles? Is it all a continuing adventure for this kid?

Why, why, why did we bring him to this country?; 4/21/09, 10:35 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: "Especially if he writes a book and his personal lawyers negotiate film rights to "Wally's Story"."

Free Wally?
Wally's World?
Wally Wonka?
Where's Wally?
Wally Wally Wally Ocean Free?
A Fish Called Wally?

What would the Beaver do?; 4/21/09, 10:38 AM
Sully said...: ewewew; 4/21/09, 10:39 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: "Why, why, why did we bring him to this country?"

In a brave new world spinning out of control with altruistic love solidarity, and brotherhood, dropping him out of the plane without a parachute would be considered inhumane.; 4/21/09, 10:40 AM
Unknown said...: THAT megaWATT smile is reminiscent of Obama's smile when he greeted Chavez---transcendent.; 4/21/09, 10:43 AM
john said...: LarsPorsena -

Edie Murphy's already played that part.; 4/21/09, 10:44 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: Maybe Chip Ahoy can photoshop a thought bubble over his head that says 'Suhckas!'; 4/21/09, 10:44 AM
Jeff Tompkins said...: And he already has an entourage! Will America's fascination with celebrity never cease? (This guy is on American Idol, right?); 4/21/09, 10:45 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: "(This guy is on American Idol, right?)"

Dancin With the Homies!; 4/21/09, 10:52 AM
Issob Morocco said...: He can always get a job with Susan Rice at the UN, that multicultural mecca. Perhaps he can work on the UN Treaty of the Sea and provide wonderful insight.; 4/21/09, 10:56 AM
rhhardin said...: A wife writes in to Armstrong and Getty (first hour, today), that she and her husband were attending an elementary school talent show. The kindergarten entry was 9 latino kids singing ``This land is your land,'' in Spanish. Her husband leaned over to her and said, ``That's adorable, and offensive.''; 4/21/09, 10:58 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Lucky bastard just hit the jackpot. Once this is seen over in Somalia they'll be lining up to hijack American ships, only now they'll immediately surrender and demand to be taken prisoner.; 4/21/09, 11:04 AM
Henry said...: That's adorable, and offensive.Not a Woody Guthrie fan, that guy?; 4/21/09, 11:05 AM
rhhardin said...: Imus reports the pirate has a higher approval rating than the NY Governor.; 4/21/09, 11:07 AM
traditionalguy said...: Another Acorn community organizer reaches the New World's Democracy that has liearned how to pay money to the voters to elect the Robbers of American Wealth Party a/k/a The Democrats. Relax and enjoy the party at your expense.; 4/21/09, 11:08 AM
MadisonMan said...: Abdiwali Abdiqadir Muse, thinking I'm a big star in America now.

Mindread much?

I say that as someone who smiles when I am anxious.

(I FINALLY remembered right off to change my tags so there's a line feed. (phew) ); 4/21/09, 11:09 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Smiling is a sign of submissiveness.

"Not always," she said with a smile.; 4/21/09, 11:09 AM
Amexpat said...: It's the prospect of free dental care that's making him smile.; 4/21/09, 11:17 AM
William said...: Cedarford's post is convincing. Perhaps the best and cheapest thing we can do is to exact a pledge from Walli that he will abstain from piracy and then pardon him and send him back to Somalia. There is nothing we can do to him that will advance the cause of justice; we may as well advance the cause of mercy.; 4/21/09, 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...: 翻譯翻譯社外遇網頁設計; 4/21/09, 11:20 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: hua said...
翻譯翻譯社外遇網頁設計

The Chinese pirate has spoken.; 4/21/09, 11:27 AM
Salamandyr said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/21/09, 11:27 AM
Salamandyr said...: According to the AP Radio News this morning, the smile was actually requested by the photographer. I'm not sure I could smile in his circumstances.

But then, considering the fates of his companions, he's probably feeling pretty lucky.; 4/21/09, 11:28 AM
SteveR said...: All things considered, sending him back to Somalia with as little fan fare as possible is probably the best thing. I think the three dead ones made the point. Absent a concerted international effort to crack down on piracy, which isn't going to happen, making US flagged ships something to be avoided is about the best we can get.; 4/21/09, 11:39 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: (Mindread much?

I say that as someone who smiles when I am anxious.)

In fairness MM, most people equate smiles with joy, happiness, etc. You know the cliche, it only takes 3 muscles to smile and 1000 to frown (or something like that)

I remember that Islamofascist terrorist who blew up the nighclub in Bali killing hundreds. He not only freely admitted to it but did so with a big shit eating grin on his face.; 4/21/09, 11:42 AM
former law student said...: why did we bring him to this country?

For trial.

We could probably have sent him to The Hague, but that would have set a perhaps unwelcome precedent.

Our other choices were "catch and release" or making him walk the plank.; 4/21/09, 11:45 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: (We could probably have sent him to The Hague, but that would have set a perhaps unwelcome precedent.)

Well maybe not. They could have tried him to death like Milosovec ;-); 4/21/09, 11:49 AM
Cedarford said...: Lem said...
Contrary to the Andrew Sullivans this man’s smile speaks of someone who has no fear whatsoever that we are who Andrew says we are.

He’s smiling because he is here. I choose to take it as a tribute..

People hijacked by the pirates report that they all smile a lot when they were pressing guns to the necks of crewman, pillaging the craft, and between periodic death threats as the crew hostages were guarded and their lives bartered over for ransom amounts.

Predators smile when they are happy doing the things they like or when they are in a situation they have been told will worl out very, very well for them by their lawyers.

I am reminded of a story out in California of a "smiling rapist" who was characterized by three woman victims as smiling all through the rape and the pre-and-post rape beatings he administered.

I don't think his smile was a "tribute" to the sexual attractiveness or 'skills' of the women, or their tast in home decorating.

Its what many predators do, by their nature, when they feel they are enjoying it all.; 4/21/09, 11:52 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Cedarford..
My remarks are in no way intended to add nor detract from this man’s savagery. Rather to take a rare opportunity to slam Andrew Sullivan ;); 4/21/09, 12:26 PM
ricpic said...: Hua can talk big but he still does it like a chinaman.; 4/21/09, 12:47 PM
Ron said...: Put him on Celebrity Apprentice. He can't be worse than Andrew Dice Clay or Dennis Rodman!

Plus, don't you want him to say "The Donald" right at the camera?; 4/21/09, 12:51 PM
Eric said...: I would be smiling too in his position. Of the four in the gang he's the only one whose brains are all still in his head.; 4/21/09, 12:54 PM
Joaquin said...: I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!; 4/21/09, 12:58 PM
Tank said...: How come this guy didn't fall out of a cargo hatch in the plane - at maybe 20,000 feet?

If they could've dropped him on some pirates - ah, what a great way to send a message.; 4/21/09, 1:13 PM
Skyler said...: Why shouldn't he smile? He's from Somalia. He's eating better than he's ever eaten in his life and he's facing a long time of free meals.; 4/21/09, 1:15 PM
KCFleming said...: If he moves to Minnesota, he gets welfare for life and a free bus ride to the voting booth.

Welcome!; 4/21/09, 1:30 PM
Bissage said...: Why is this pirate smiling?

Well, reading through these comments, it looks like I was pretty far off.

(Sometimes I’m not so good at reading people.)

I thought maybe Long John Silver just fired off a little clam gas or something.

Yarrrgh.; 4/21/09, 1:57 PM
Charlie said...: Will it be Mark Geragos or Gloria Allred? Larry King has already reached for his speed dial.......; 4/21/09, 1:58 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Maybe he's smiling because he's obviously the most intelligent of the four pirates, the only one smart enough to realize, "Four of us squared off against the will of the United States Navy? This will not end well."; 4/21/09, 2:09 PM
MadisonMan said...: In fairness MM, most people equate smiles with joy, happiness, etc.
Very true, and I'm sure Mr. Pirate smiles when he's happy. Maybe he's smiling for that reason in the picture. Or there could be other reasons. I'm just saying that at least one person on this planet smiles when he is stressed/anxious.

There's really no way of knowing, is there?; 4/21/09, 2:20 PM
KCFleming said...: Maybe he thought he was finally going to get that giant check from the Nigerian bank, the one from the e-mail he responded to last year, the one that cost him his last $752 when he sent it off, hoping to get $32 Million in return, but never heard from them again.

So he turned to piracy.

And now, it has come true after all.; 4/21/09, 2:31 PM
Jeremy said...: Good lord...the kid is smiling.

Somebody...KILL HIM!!; 4/21/09, 2:43 PM
Jeremy said...: Charlie said..."Will it be Mark Geragos or Gloria Allred? Larry King has already reached for his speed dial......."

Maybe it'll be Rush.

After all, he's the one who defended them as being mere "teenagers" who were attacked by Obama.; 4/21/09, 2:44 PM
Sully said...: dsdsds; 4/21/09, 2:48 PM
Sully said...: you're disgusting Ann.

making fun of a poor Somali kid...; 4/21/09, 2:48 PM
KCFleming said...: Althouse's trolls are as dull as a junior high social studies textbook.; 4/21/09, 3:12 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Good lord...the kid is smiling. Somebody...KILL HIM!!.

Jeremy I don’t know where you been for last 6 months but the reaction to Bernie Maddof here in NY has been just as petulant if not more than the reaction to this vermin.

So... save it will you?; 4/21/09, 3:28 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Ha ha ha. Hoosier Daddy, you're funny.

What I think a young captured pirate in custody thinks is quite simple.; 4/21/09, 3:33 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: His lawyer is objecting to Chip use of Comic Sans ;); 4/21/09, 3:40 PM
Jeremy said...: Lem said..."Jeremy I don’t know where you been for last 6 months but the reaction to Bernie Maddof here in NY has been just as petulant if not more than the reaction to this vermin."

Lem, you're comparing this kid to Bernie Madoff?

Get real.; 4/21/09, 4:06 PM
Jeremy said...: Pogo said..."Althouse's trolls are as dull as a junior high social studies textbook."

FINALLY...something YOU know something about.

Have you finished one yet?; 4/21/09, 4:06 PM
Jeremy said...: Here are some of Pogo's highly literate comments:

"If he moves to Minnesota, he gets welfare for life and a free bus ride to the voting booth."

"Maybe he thought he was finally going to get that giant check from the Nigerian bank, the one from the e-mail he responded to last year, the one that cost him his last $752 when he sent it off, hoping to get $32 Million in return, but never heard from them again."

"Althouse's trolls are as dull as a junior high social studies textbook."

"I'd rather we had Crack Emcee on the case, myself."

"Obama makes Malt-O-Meal seem like Tex-Mex chili. He makes a Dell PC manual seem like steamy erotica. He makes Kevin Costner look like Olivier."; 4/21/09, 4:11 PM
JAL said...: Lem, that is not Comic Sans.

Do your homework.

That is Chip Meboy Ahoy writing using his photoshop pointer instead of using the text feature. (It's that "T" thing in the tool bar, CA.) Or is that a new custom designed typeface?

If you are going to denigrate poor Comic Sans, target the right type. ;-)

(Which is spite of all the flack it gets, can be used appropriately and pleasantly.); 4/21/09, 4:24 PM
rhhardin said...: Althouse's trolls are as dull as a junior high social studies textbook.

Bolivia and tin.; 4/21/09, 5:02 PM
Michael Haz said...: Dude'll be on Oprah in six months, blaming the pirate problem on the awful Bush policies.

____________

@Jeremy - Where'd you get your MD?; 4/21/09, 5:34 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 4/21/09, 7:08 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: The brave pirate, cried, he cried in court today. From smiles to tears in just a short time. His appointed lawyer probably put him up to it.

Some immigrant group is claiming that he will not get a fair trial due to the amount of and adverse publicity. An immigrant group? I thought he was flown here under arrest for a crime. I did not know the pirate swam here to get a job.; 4/21/09, 7:10 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: "Lem, you're comparing this kid to Bernie Madoff?"

This kid? Now he is this kid? The apologists and sympathizers are coming out.

Let's see, both were ruthless, greedy, had a good business plan, cared not for the property of others, cared not for the welfare of others, and were in it just for the money.

Why don't you apply to the court and adopt the little bastard before your tears dry?

The only difference is one used a gun and the other used a brief case.; 4/21/09, 7:14 PM
Meade said...: Mamas, don't let your sons grow up to be crybaby terrorist pirates.; 4/21/09, 7:59 PM
Joe said...: A few years in jail with conditions far better than where he came from and then he gets to live out the American dream. Not a bad deal.; 4/21/09, 9:13 PM
former law student said...: and then he gets to live out the American dream.

Only if the American dream includes deportation back to Somalia. I don't believe pirates are entitled to refugee status or political asylum.; 4/21/09, 9:18 PM
Joe said...: Once his sentence is complete, he will request asylum based on the fact that Somalia has no recognized government. Is it even legal to repatriate a person to such a country?; 4/21/09, 10:12 PM
David said...: He was brought to the USA because he is accused of hijacking a U.S. Flag ship. That is a crime under American law and subjects him to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

His captors, all American military and other U.S. officials, are also subject to American law. Thus dropping him from a plane was not an option.

He's certainly not a refugee or a subject for political asylum. He is a criminal defendant.

He is likely to get a fair trial. His lawyer is a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk. The American taxpayer will of course foot the bill for his defense.; 4/21/09, 10:12 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: "The American taxpayer will of course foot the bill for his defense."

What a dirty shame. Killing him would have been cheaper and more efficient; in keeping with Obama's supposed cost cutting.; 4/21/09, 11:01 PM
Nichevo said...: I am amused by the notion of pirate-symp. I dunno, should he get a break? Anything is possible. The trouble is, I suppose, that Obama or no, there are not means practical or otherwise for captain and crew to hang him, dump him or otherwise handle the business in a seamanlike fashion. Really, once he had 'peacefully' come aboard, wasn't he a protected person in some sense? Was there parole given or accepted or the like?

I'm trying to be un-PC and imagine it being handled in the Royal Navy of say Nelson's time a la the Aubrey-Maturin books of Patrick O'Brian.

Four pirates (!) 'peacefully' board the unarmed HMS Surprise. Jack Aubrey sends the crew belowdecks and offers himself as a hostage. They set off in the jolly-boat or the gig, and leave one of their number to dicker with say Pullings or Babbington, eek.

Meanwhile, Dr Maturin dopes up Bonden, Killick and Faster Doudle with 19th-century laudanum/coca-leaf speedballs to optimize their accuracy, sets them up with rifled muskets, and they pick off the three on the boat after Aubrey dives in and swims off like a greased eel.

So all is well, scratch three pirates, but that fourth guy dickering over Aubrey's hide - or whatever it is that he is doing, talking about being a frightened pirate-prest angsty Somali teen or the like - is now in their custody.

Does Aubrey run him up at the yardarm? Would it suit his code of homor? How would he judge the pirate? Would he feel obliged to put him in bilboes and bring him to court-martial, or could he just feed him to the sharks (the crew won't say nothin'), or what?

Does Maturin tell Aubrey no, take the pirate, re-educate him in half a dozen run-on sentences, and send him ashore to rat out his pirate friends or at least to sin no more?

I'm just trying to figure out how this would play before everybody got orchitis.

...

But if that kid, that guy, that embryonic killer is smiling because he knows the death penalty is off the table, the only question is, How many cartons of cigarettes is he worth in prison? I assume he can be put in general population?; 4/23/09, 12:46 AM
Unknown said...: He does have the slight problem that piracy under present US law has a mandatory life sentence (which probably replaced a mandatory death sentence), and there's no parole in federal prison.

However, it's possible his lawyers may argue that law is archaic & draconian since he didn't kill anyone, and he may be able generate enough sympathy to get commuted--by Obama or his successor--to 15-20 years or so, or plea-bargain down to other charges such as hostage-taking with no mandatory term. If he's realised there is a real issue about asylum, which is apparently why the Royal Navy doesn't take pirates back to Britain.; 11/17/09, 2:28 PM