Posted on 02/23/2006 9:52:35 PM PST by neodad
But there is a broader issue that warrants consideration at the highest levels--excessive U.S. reliance on foreign-flagged ships and foreign crews for routine international trade and even for defense work. Foreign-flagged cargo ships now carry better than 97 percent of U.S. commercial imports and exports. Many of these ships are registered in unaccountable flag of convenience countries like Liberia (which has been said to use ship registry revenues to help finance a brutal rebel faction in neighboring Sierra Leone) and Panama (awash in fraudulent seafarer certificates and licenses for sale
(Excerpt) Read more at amo-union.org ...
This does not belong under Breaking News
Thanks for posting.
PING
Oh no...here we go again...
From the Navy League
U.S.-Flag Merchant Marine
The United States has allowed its merchant fleet to dwindle. Many U.S. ships have been reflagged under foreign flags-Panama, Liberia, the Marianas and others-to escape U.S. regulations for vessel safety and operation.
More than 95% of equipment and supplies required by American forces must be transported by sea. History has shown that U.S.-flag ships manned by Americans are the only reliable source of strategic sealift in times of crisis. Reliance on foreign-flag ships has the potential for political and economic disaster.
American ships now carry less than 3% of the nation's two-way seaborne cargo, exports as well as imports. As the largest trading nation in all world history, this is considered a national disgrace. A program to rebuild the U.S.-flag fleet would ensure the immediate availability of ships needed by U.S. forces in time of war or other national emergency, help preserve the U.S. defense base, and generate billions of dollars in tax revenues.
Due to projected doubling or tripling in volume of U.S. trade over the next two decades, it is critical to develop and implement a program to expand and modernize the U.S.-Flag fleet and ports.
From the Navy League
The commercial ports are increasingly important to the nation’s defense as DoD downsizes and the military relies more heavily on U.S.-based forces. Fifteen commercial ports have been identified as strategic ports by the military and the National Shipping Authority, which is the defense arm of MARAD. These 15 commercial ports are: New York/New Jersey Port Complex; Philadelphia; Hampton Roads Port Complex, Va.; Morehead City, N.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Beaumont, Texas; Corpus Christi, Texas; San Diego; Long Beach, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; Tacoma, Wash.; and Anchorage, Alaska.
You don't hear the Dems talk about the outsourcing of the Merchant Marine, or for that matter, the shipbuilding industry. Some reasons: Taxes, unions, regulation, etc. The only large shipbuilding in the U.S. is the Navy, and to a lesser degree, the Coast Guard. Where's the outcry about that?
The article is a little dated, but I think is relavent to the discussion.
You do hear the Navy League talking about it.
Maybe more folks need to join.
Now this is a problem!
At the end of WWII we had the greatest merchant marine fleet the world had ever known. It was pretty much gone by the mid-seventies. Regulations weren't so much the problem, in many cases they were protectionist of our merchant fleet. Taxes were an issue but the unions were the real problem.
They did for our merchant fleet what they are doing to our auto industry.
It's a huge problem. Why does a terrorist with a nuke on a Panamanian flagged freighter need to offload it in New York? Just detonate it in the harbor, and kill hundreds of thousands, to millions.
You call the ignorant claptrap and blathering concerning the DPW P&O merger a discussion?
Anyone who opposes the port deal hasn't taken the 30 minutes required to inform themselves of: the nature of the deal, history of Arab nations doing stevedoring in America...
This is a tangential to an emotionally based and fact devoid argument...
exactly and who do you hold accountable?
You hit on it, chief.
The unions not only destroyed the domestic shipbuilding industry but the US-flagged maritime fleet as well.
And, if my hunch is right, they are doing their darndest to wreck the impending buyout of P&O by sowing misinformation calculated to put Americans in a frenzy.
The slackers who currently unload cargo at P&O port facilities worry that they'll have to do a day's work for a day's pay under new management.
Think AmTrak...now we can have AmPorts.
Here, here, just 30 minutes to avoid the " B. Boxer " syndrome.....
Is there anything left in America that hasn't been outsourced? The love affair our President has with globalism is beginning to make me think he's been outsourced too.
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