Britney Spears Saves The World

I always figured Britney had some voodoo in her south Louisiana roots, but who knew?If you're a merchant ship and you have to go through the waters east of Somalia, you run a good chance that Somali pirates will be trying to board you.  And these aren't Disney-esque Jack Sparrow types, these guys are hard core  and you are merely a commodity.  And sometimes an acceptable loss.

If you've seen Captain Phillips or know the story of the Alabama Maersk, you know these merchant ships are mainly unarmed except for water cannons.  Some cruise ships have gone so far as to install sonic cannons.

Water cannons, stronger military presence, what will work to curb these floating bandits?  It's Britney Spears music!  No kidding.  The British navy has started blasting the pirates with tunes like "Baby One More Time" and other Spears hits.

According to Merchant naval officer Rachel Owens, "Her songs were chosen by the security team because they thought the pirates would hate them most. These guys can't stand western culture or music, making Britney's hits perfect. As soon as the pirates get a blast of Britney, they move on as quickly as they can."

Here's some footage of the music at work.