St. Augustine's pirate may have a point!

Pot meet kettle by way of the great St. Augustine:

In the "City of God," St. Augustine tells the story of a pirate captured by Alexander the Great. The Emperor angrily demanded of him, "How dare you molest the seas?" To which the pirate replied, "How dare you molest the whole world? Because I do it with a small boat, I am called a pirate and a thief. You, with a great navy, molest the world and are called an emperor." St. Augustine thought the pirate's answer was "elegant and excellent."

Hat tip: Marginal Revolution who, in turn, hat-tipped a succession of bloggers.