Throughout history, pirates have fascinated the public, and the appeal of these sea-faring rascals has stretched well into the digital age with sites that generate your pirate name, sell your next Blackbeard Halloween costume and even urge you to participate in International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

From the safety of your computer, pirates are nothing but a jolly good time. They symbolize carefree rebellion in ridiculously puffy shirts, yet are an abstract enough concept that you don't have think about how pirates are basically just money-oriented terrorists.

Unfortunately, the era of guilt-free pirate worship is coming to an abrupt end. Lately, headlines have been screaming out sensational tales of real-life pirates taking over ships filled with 100 million dollars worth of oil, and doing battle with commissioned navies out on the high seas.

Now that pirates are less ironic curios from days of yore, and more deadly international nuisances, is it still OK to cheer for the guys who made the skull-and-crossbones cool? After the jump, we discuss the reasons for and against continued pirate boosterism.