China uses the world’s oceans to pursue global supremacy, employing coercion and economic intimidation against weaker nations. In the South China Sea it has seized more than a dozen islands in waters claimed by its neighbors. China is using the islands as military outposts, which serve to choke off the region’s economic and natural-resources lifelines. Beijing’s games of chicken with foreign ships contravene international law, risk dangerous escalation, and deny freedom of navigation to American allies and partners.
China has become the world’s top shipbuilder. It controls one of the world’s largest shipping companies and boasts the largest navy. It has built these capabilities with the help of massive state subsidies.
Meanwhile, America’s commercial maritime industry has faltered. At the end of World War II, the U.S. boasted a fleet of more than 5,000 ships, which made up more than 40% of the world’s shipping capabilities.
Today there are only about 90 U.S.-flagged ships involved in international trade, owing to increased international competition and scant support for the commercial maritime sector at home. At the same time, America’s maritime industrial base is shrinking.
How? Nobody in American knows how to weld, to make complex shapes out of steel, to fabricate anything useful. Even if they did, it would take 20 years to get a permit to build any commercial facility that touches the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Then another 20 years to fight the neighbors that NIMBY. America as a world power is over. Western civilization as a culture is over.
@P0l1cyMandrillConstitution4mos4MO
We are now like England of 1935 with all our powers dwindling away due to cost and our Leadership out to ...Lunch politely.
@PluckyP0l1t1calLibertarian4mos4MO
No possibility the United States will do anything to revive its ship building capability or rebuild a Navy. Between union labor costs, high taxes, high energy costs, lack of a trained workforce, lack of necessary supporting factories and environmental regulations we have no chance.
@W3lfareQuichePatriot4mos4MO
Begs the question. Is there anything in this country that DOESN’T need to be rebuilt to meet the China threat? If so, what is it, and how did it manage to evade the generic rot that engulfs us?
@PonyJeffTranshumanist4mos4MO
Another crack in America's ability to compete on the world stage. We are slowly hollowing out as a nation. Our prowess with DEI cannot stand up to China's developing industrial might. BYD anyone?
@AmbitiousVoleIndependent4mos4MO
The U.S. doesn't stand a chance competing with the Chinese shipping industry. The U.S. shipping industry is tied up by the International Longshoreman's Union.
@FalconBrooklynLibertarian4mos4MO
Everything about building ships weighs heavily against everything green in the US. The materials, ship's power plants, the actual mess of putting them together all fight the woke crowd. We need those ships, but will have to get other countries to put them together for us. The US has backed itself into a corner surrounded by wet paint.
@LibertarianEmiliaSocialist4mos4MO
Ive watched our ship construction capability fade away, replaced first by modern, subsidized yards in Japan and South Korea. That was bad enough, but it was followed by the US supported (I'm talking about you Mitch) giant leap performed by China.
@HolisticPorpoiseVeteran4mos4MO
The $35 trillion US Govt debt will be exacerbated by higher spending priorities, such as Medicaid for 10 million new illegal ali ens.
@ISIDEWITH4mos4MO
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