But I thought government spending never works!?A few good articles from the WSJ and CSIS. China’s government invested and subsidized $132B into their shipyards in the 2010’s. The US went with the free market and instead spent over $1T in Afghanistan.
The result: China now has 230x the shipbuilding capacity of the US.
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Hidden Harbors: China’s State-backed Shipping Industry
China's state-owned and private companies are increasingly dominant across the global maritime supply chain, aided by an opaque system of formal and informal government support that is unrivaled in both its scale and scope.www.csis.org
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In Shipbuilding, the U.S. Is Tiny and Rusty
The Trump administration has floated a proposal that would seek to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The idea faces both labor and financial challenges.www.wsj.com
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Inside the Strategies That Made China a Shipbuilding Powerhouse
In 2023, more than half of the world’s commercial shipbuilding came from China. WSJ looks at the strategies that led to this growth and where the U.S. stands as maritime competition ramps up. Photo Illustration: Annie Zhaowww.wsj.com
Government spending….or government investment? There is a significant difference.But I thought government spending never works!?
Significant? Are we talking in results, intent or goals? Money I could have "spent" on a new truck, or vacation I have "invested" in various financial instruments, and lost money. Would have been better spending it in Tuscany or the Cote d Azure versus watching numbers on paper deflating. Yep, big difference.Government spending or government investment? There is a significant difference.
What ever happed to "If it moves, salute it; if it doesn't, paint it?"all that rust on ships
Both.Government spending….or government investment? There is a significant difference.
Nothing from Konrad can really be considered a “good article.”With the tanker accident in the news, a couple of good articles on the importance of auxiliaries.
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For Want of an Oiler: The Fragile State of America’s Afloat Logistics Fleet
Salvatore R. Mercogliano, Ph.D. – The Navy oiler – a tanker designed to refuel other ships while at sea – shuddered from the hit. Almost immediately, water began to flood...gcaptain.com
and for those who haven’t seen it, a proposal to drastically reduce Chinese shipping to US ports:
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Trump's Shipbuilding Plan Could Upend Ocean Cargo Industry, Companies Warn
By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES, March 7 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s plan to revitalize the U.S. shipping industry could heap massive costs on ocean transport operators and spawn a new round of supply...gcaptain.com
Just out of curiosity, what did you and Bad Karma find objectionable, misleading or patently false?Nothing from Konrad can really be considered a “good article.”
Have you ever interacted with him on Twitter? He’s a deeply troubled individual. Most of the content on his site is stolen and repackaged.Just out of curiosity, what did you and Bad Karma find objectionable, misleading or patently false?
I followed him for about a week before I realized he's, uh, a little out there.Have you ever interacted with him on Twitter? He’s a deeply troubled individual. Most of the content on his site is stolen and repackaged.
Not everybody has a Twitter account, so no, I have never interacted with him. With 2 little kids, I am lucky if I have time for ship photo of the day here - although I do make as much time as I can to listen to naval history.Have you ever interacted with him on Twitter? He’s a deeply troubled individual. Most of the content on his site is stolen and repackaged.
Let me restate my position then. Konrad’s content is perfect for someone like you.Not everybody has a Twitter account, so no, I have never interacted with him. With 2 little kids, I am lucky if I have time for ship photo of the day here - although I do make as much time as I can to listen to naval history.
As for the articles, I thought both showed real world issues, and the historical consequences of not having enough logistics.
We have a shipbuilding crisis that accelerated when Reagan and the Republicans got rid of tariffs / subsidies. We have not only lost most of the infrastructure and the workforce, but it appears we no longer have the institutional knowledge of how to build warships at scale. This is reminiscent of the degradation of the German surface fleet from WW1 to WW2.