Internecine Knife Fights Are Killing The U.S. Navy And American Maritime
Craig HooperSenior Contributor
Sep 6, 2022,11:20am EDT
Sinking cargo ship embodies America's maritime struggles
American maritime influencers engage on everything but strengthening the maritime.GETTY IMAGES
Lobbying for a larger U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and merchant marine is a big business, attracting millions of dollars every year. With lobbyists offering, in most cases, more flash than substance, government investment in the maritime is in a steady decline. And as federal funds dwindle, the maritime industry spends far too much time fighting among itself over scraps, lacking a unified means to argue for bigger maritime investments.
By all rights, this should be a golden age in maritime investment and in the formulation of modern American maritime policy. For the first time in 60 years, the U.S. faces a true maritime threat. Ports have struggled to handle logistical disruption. River cruises are returning as the U.S. rediscovers the American riverfront. The Gulf oil patch is back in business, while energy efficiency and freight logistics are suddenly trendy. Unmanned craft are taking to the sea and becoming mainstream assets.
There’s certainly a sense of some sort of sea change ahead. Money is pouring in for maritime influencers. Week after week, maritime industry groups trudge up to the Capitol, extolling one program or another. And yet, despite all the interest and all the new investments in Washington-area meeting centers and new maritime institutes, America’s overall maritime future still looks bleak. Industry players are either too balkanized, too parochial, or just too darn selfish to look beyond their narrow programmatic interests and argue for a larger American engagement in the maritime.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/craighooper/2022/09/06/internecine-knife-fights-are-killing-the-us-navy-and-american-maritime/?sh=736db43454f0
