Repealing the Jones Act is not the Slam Dunk Decision That Many People Claim
Posted at 6:00 pm on September 28, 2017 by streiff There has been a lot said about the Jones Act, and rightfully so. It has been billed as the worst sort of cronyism by its detractors and the savior of American industry and jobs by its defenders. Oddly enough both are correct. But this masks a larger issue for which the Jones Act serves as a proxy. What does a nation do about a critical defense industry that has ceased to be economically competitive?
My colleague, Patterico, has taken a strong position against it. I find myself a lot more conflicted.
Let me give you a story.
In August 1990, a mechanized infantry division that was on orders for Saudi Arabia as part of Operation DESERT STORM was at a port of embarkation. A mech division is half tanks and half mechanized infantry and the vehicles move by what is called a Roll-On-Roll-Off ship, aka RO-RO. (see image at the top of the page)
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https://www.redstate.com/streiff/2017/09/28/jones-act-repeal/
