[QUOTE=KrustySalt;178231]Defence of what? MSC has a number of US Flagged ships built over seas, including the one that disposed of all that mustered gas. Look at the Crowley ran Hagpag Lloyd ships with the cranes. Built over seas but US Flagged. They get a kick back from the government so that in the ever the government needs a vessel that can offload itself, they have 5.[/QUOTE]
Thats a question for the 1920 congress who passed the Joes Act and 1991 Congress that allowed the foreign build:
of course, the subsequent low performance rating gave rise to MSP, in which even more foreign build vessels then entered US Flag, and get paid to do so… But we kept the ready reserve anyway? And build grey hull logistics USNSes… How much sealift do we really require might be the better question.