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The Profitability Of Piracy This week a Somali teenager charged with being among the pirates who seized an American cargo ship last week was brought to New York for trial. But curbing piracy overall will be much more difficult than the occasional capture and trial of a few pirates. It's a lucrative business that makes up a large part of Somalia's economy — and benefits others outside of the impoverished nation.

Economy

The Profitability Of Piracy

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The Profitability Of Piracy

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This week a Somali teenager charged with being among the pirates who seized an American cargo ship last week was brought to New York for trial. But curbing piracy overall will be much more difficult than the occasional capture and trial of a few pirates. It's a lucrative business that makes up a large part of Somalia's economy — and benefits others outside of the impoverished nation.

Host Scott Simon explores the intricacies of the pirate economy with Dr. Peter Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.