A cruise ship being attacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean makes me wonder if we are witnessing a nascent state system. If these pirates can establish a regular and dominant presence in this region, they might enjoy a monopoly on the use of force - the accepted definition of a "government." Their predations would then develop into a more formal taxation system. Permission for ships to enter "their" waterways would be conditioned upon the payment of imposts. In order to avoid the danger and inconvenience resulting from trans-oceanic chases, the pirates might establish a fixed platform (or a base ship - their "ship of state" perhaps?) at which cruise and cargo ships might stop to pay the assigned duty. The pirates could then speak of the "voluntary" nature of their tax-collection system, while ships that tried to speed away would be charged with "tax evasion." Should their system become permanent and institutionalized, a petition to the United Nations for recognition as a sister state might follow. At this point, these guys would no longer be regarded as "pirates," but rather the "founding fathers" of a new nation! Perhaps the neocons could draft a constitution for them.
