If the engine shuts down you call the chief and organize the team you have. In this case it would be AMP. They try everything to fix it, but can’t. Worse, they are puzzled as to why it’s not working.
What happens next?
Well you find the best technical experts you can afford. They arrive on the ship. They set up a whiteboard and computer. They review all the documentation. They meet with the engineers and interrogate (in a nice way) them.
Then they set up their tools (diagnostic tools) and start taking apart the engine piece by piece. If the chief tells them “that piston is brand new it’s not the problem” They take it apart anyway.
Then they go back to the whiteboard and they list all the problems and develop a detailed action plan.
They go home then experts come with spare parts, specialized tools, and repair equipment arrive and they fix the danm thing.
Now how do you do that for an industry with a lot of players and political complexities?
You do what Truman did in WWII:
Well you find the best technical experts you can afford. They arrive in washington. They set up a whiteboard and computer. They review all the documentation. They meet with the ceo’s, marad, the white house, amp, maritime media, bankers, unions, captains, engineers. They review all the documentation on this forum. Then they set up their tools (e.g. social media and investigative tools) and start taking apart the data piece by piece.
If the amp tells them “that congressman is not the problem” They investigate it anyway. If the banker says “the clause x in the jones act is the problem” they find out if clause x is really a problem. If the unions say “the companies won’t pay a decent wage” they find out if that’s true and why.
Then, like Truman, they visit each shipyard. They talk to supervisors. They meet with management. They ask hard questions. Then they visit ships, shipping company offices. They investigate gCaptain and the other maritime journalists and interrogate our team. They spend time at abs and uscg hq and Navsea, and msc and go inside investment banks that are funding chinese ships.
They ask the hard questions just like Truman did.
They do NOT look to place blame. They are NOT cops. They do not look to put anyone in jail. They do NOT sue anyone.
Then they go back to the whiteboard and they list all the problems and develop a detailed action plan.
To save the US Merchant Marine we need to conduct a detailed investigation. This will cost some money and require some degree of authority to investigate. Who has that authority. A few organizations. The senate certainly. The dot and Marad. Or a group like amp that has lots of stakeholder agreement.
The key is when people hear of an investigation they get defensive so investigation is not a good word for what needs to be done. Maybe “ thorough diagnostic“ is better. Like Truman the objective is to make the stakeholders more profitable and efficient, not destroy them (like cato seemingly wants to do).