[Parmenio]

Jefferson did NOT build the U.S. naval ships you are referring to. In fact, he was strongly opposed to building them. The naval ships that fought in the Barbary War were built during the Federalist administrations of Washington and Adams - Jefferson’s political enemies.

[Parmenio]

John Adams was a strong supporter of the naval build up. You have stood history on its head!

[Psalm 73]

It's not just about oil. It's about keeping the sea-lanes open for commerce, mainly our commerce.
We still have the pre-eminent economy on the earth, and the US Navy enables that.
Do others benefit also? Sure, but the bottom line is America's economic integrity.

Screw Red China. They are teetering now, just a little push....

[wbarmy]

Merchant class built and maintained a trade “empire” which enriched and strengthened all of America. Maintaining the seaways for the free transport of goods and commerce benefits us and others.

The use of USA military vessels to protect those routes is beneficial to all of us. Just because other nations get a free ride on our protection does not mean that it is not worthwhile.

[NohSpinZone]

From the halls of Montezuma,

To the shores of Tripoli...

[rollo tomasi]

Jefferson wrote the "entangling alliances" phrase not Washington whose farewell addressed the avoidance of "permanent alliances".

Barbary pirates were clients of the Ottoman Empire and considered a trade problem. Once taken care of, of course the merchant owners made out. Did you want Jefferson to become some sort of totalitarian and confiscate merchants' profits from trading? I don't like paying for roads but like driving on them. Should we confiscate the wealth of all the contractors and builders?

[Boston Blackie]

John Adams fought against the naval buildup.

Where the hell does that come from. Someone has turned history upside down.

[paddles]

I commend the book “Six Frigates” by Ian Toll to anyone interested in this period in our country’s history. It’s a great read!

[Mollypitcher1]

Remember Commodore Stephen Decatur.

[catnipman]

“Jefferson built a Navy that all Americans paid for while it was the merchant class that got most of the benefits.”

hogwash. Fighting the Islamists instead of paying them ransom like the rest of the lilly-livered so-called world powers, established the U.S. as a world power with all the attendant benefits to the populous

btw, i believe Jefferson fought the Islamists because he felt the U.S. government didn’t have the money to pay them, i.e., Jefferson elected to use our navy instead of raising taxes on the populous ...

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

John Adams fought against the naval buildup.

Having read Dumas Malone’s 4-volume bio of Jefferson, I must demur. I clearly remember Malone quoting a letter from Jefferson to Adams during the War of 1812 in which Jefferson allowed that Adams must be taking satisfaction from navy that Adam had fought for building.

IIRC Jefferson had instead been more in favor of the construction of non-oceangoing (i.e., unseaworthy) gunboats for defensive purposes with no offensive power to threaten the British in any way.

[pacific_waters]

One of the dumbest comments ever to grace the pages of FR. Please tell me you don’t vote.