Reply #68: See my reply below

[Chulanowa]

There's a world of fucking difference between national waters and international waters.

See, when French and British ships tried to run blockades, they were moving in United States waters (or, what the United States considered its waters, given the nature of the Civil War).

There's also the fact that the world has changed an awful lot since 1863. Back then, there were like, six nations plying the Atlantic. Now, damn near every country in the world is flying a flag on the Atlantic, and thanks to mapping ability undreamed of in the 19th century, and international organizations that were also impossible at the time, we can clearly say "these are our waters, and these are not"

Imagine the civil war with GPS and the UN. Yeah, kinda funny, isn't it?