The Deep Blue Highway
In October President Bush signed the Safe Port Act, authorizing an investment of $6.7 billion to tighten security at American ports. This is a vitally important and overdue step. But it ignores another major problem in maritime commerce: the phenomenal decline of American shipping.
While it’s true that the United States Navy still dominates the world ocean — its total tonnage equals the combined tonnage of the next 17 smaller navies — American commercial shipping is but a puny remnant of its former self.
In 1948, more than a third of the world’s merchant fleet flew the stars and stripes; today that figure is down to 2 percent.… Seguir leyendo »