nooligan x hidedemons: journal (7)

pirate nation

(election day 2020)

how does a group of devils, murders, and thieves work together?

well, the interesting thing is that pirates of old - they had a rather interesting form of democracy.

if you were part of the crew you had a say, didn’t matter your race or where you were from - you and the rest of the sea dogs would vote in the captain.

right along side you would vote in a quarter master (the quarter master was basically your “hr department”)

the interesting thing about these 2 was that their power was pretty equal and rivaled each other to create balance - the captain of course lead and was the figure head / the quarter master represented the crew or the people.

if something happened to the captain or seen as unfit most times the quarter master would take his place and then the crew would vote in another quarter master be the new voice of the crew.

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there were a number of other interesting rules to keep order:

no fighting on the ship / all disputes had to be handled on land - duels / etc.
all the plunder was held by the quarter master and distributed equally
you were caught stealing or not doing your duty - you were marooned or executed
if you were hurt in a raid / lost a eye or limp - you were compensated for your loss (usually a great deal of money)
everyone was equal - one account stated if the captain had more food on his plate than any other crew member - any one had the right to come and take the extra from him

interesting thing about raids:

pirates were all about their money
vs what we see in the movies - pirates knew it was not economically sound to get in a fire fight at sea
ship damage / crew loss or injury - all cost money
the jolly roger flag and their menacing looks created a form of branding - in hopes you would just hand over your loot instead of fighting (economically sound)
sometimes crew members on merchant ships would actually beg to be taken in by the pirates (money was better)
another fun fact - it was said the famous pirate “black beard” who was pretty scary looking but was never recorded of really hurting anyone.

- i am paraphrasing of course more accurate facts and info here:

(source: The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates)

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the point being is that we are all on the same ship and regardless of our differences we can work together,

we all have a say in where this ship goes next.

sometimes its doesn’t go your way - it might not be ideal - we don’t just sit and do nothing wishing for a better outcome, we work towards one.

whatever happens after today - i will continue to work for you and do my best to leave this place better then i found it.