If i am a pirate on a pirate ship, why do i have to... (no space read on!)

I imagine that they raised the skull and cross bones for two reasons the first being that which cometh before the fall (pride) and the latter being an intimidation tactic to instill fear in other sailors - if they are afraid they may be easier to conquer.

Did those boneheads who recently made the news even have a flag on their little skiffs? I don't really know if there's a pirate flag etiquette but, if there is, I'm sure they didn't follow it.

flaunt themselves/their masculinity? announce to everybody that they're mean and scary? it goes with the theme (as in Captain Hook and the likes)? they ran out of designs? the skull and bones are cooler than having flowers and butterflies on the flag?

It's my understanding that historically pirates would use that symbol as a means of identifying each other. It's the same as ships using their national flags to identify the ship, or it's origins. From a distance, the first thing that is seen on a ship is it's flag, right? You rarely hear about one pirate attacking another. I've read that some enterprising captains delivering cargo would fly the pirate flag just so that they would be left alone by other pirates (they hoped), and I would imagine that pirates would also, at times, fly flags of other nations to avoid detection. With the piracy going on now, where the idiots are stealing humanitarian aid from those who need it, I would hope that the skull & crossbone flag (if they even fly one) would be interpreted as a target symbol, similar to a bulls eye.

Because gotta show how bad@$$ they are, garrrr

Yes, it is a sign of victory for them.

I would say no. But then they are men and like to show off. Hey look I'm not who I said I was and this is who I am. A very bad bunch of people. Oh no look they are shooting at me. Why oh wrong flag.

If it is raised after their mission it just shows that the mission was a success and they are flaunting their victory for everyone to see.It will also make the other ships afraid because their mission was a success and they will be looking for the next victim.