OMG! Here we go again...Hardberger is back!

and with another completely flawed op/ed

[B]Rebuilding our national mariner corps[/B]

Capt. Max Hardberger
8/11/2015

One of the most common — and cogent — arguments for maintenance of restrictions on foreign crews on vessels engaged in U.S. cabotage is the national need for trained, experienced seafarers in case of armed conflict.

The shortcomings in our national sealift readiness were apparent in the first Gulf War, and it does not appear that we are any more prepared now. In fact, the news has been that our Navy — including its support ships — is shrinking, which would place even more responsibility on civilian bottoms.

There’s a canard that FOC (flags of convenience) ships can’t assist in a U.S. sealift, which makes no sense. Many FOC ships under Panamanian, Liberian and other flags are owned by Americans — perhaps more than any other nationality — and a patriotic American is always free to put his ship at his country’s disposal. According to the open-source encyclopedia Wikipedia, as of 2006 the U.S. merchant fleet had 465 privately owned ships of 1,000 or more GRT and nearly 800 U.S.-owned ships flagged in other nations. Early in the run-up to the first Gulf War, I was port captain for Morgan Price & Co. when our president, the late Jim Maher, a loyal American, offered our two Panamanian-flagged ships to MSC for the effort. For some reason — port captains aren’t privy to that level of information — our ships didn’t participate, but other foreign-flag ships did. No FOC that I know of prohibits such a charter.

Another aspect generally overlooked is that the U.S. has ample cabotage defensive capacity. If we needed to move military cargo by barge from New York to Brownsville, Texas — let’s say to quell an invasion by Mexico — we could do it without a single bluewater cargo ship. And we have many experienced U.S. brownwater mariners to sustain such an effort. It’s our ability to project force across oceans that’s at risk, and it was our difficulty in doing so in the first Gulf War that exposed this deficiency.

But this doesn’t answer the thorny question of how to rectify the situation. There are jobs on tugboats and OSVs — although OSV jobs are currently drying up with the shrinking oilfield — and other brownwater vessels, but in any foreseeable armed conflict, bluewater cargo ships will be essential, just as they were in World War II. And we must have competent seafarers to staff them.

How do we attract the nation’s youth to the sea? We have to start young. The Sea Scouts, a quasi-private organization, is a good place to start. There should be an emphasis on moving the most promising cadets into larger vessels since experience on small, non-cargo vessels won’t transfer easily to large, oceangoing cargo ships. Trade schools and community colleges can start or increase their merchant marine curricula. And the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy could adjust its curriculum to help bridge any gaps.

Some measures are intuitive. A ready reserve — like World War II’s merchant marine — could be formed, with the volunteers paid for their service, like the military reserves’ “weekend warriors.” This is a national defense expense that, if necessary, should be paid for from the general treasury. Although we don’t have enough U.S.-flagged bluewater cargo vessels for hands-on training of a large cadet corps, realistic simulation, training on similar equipment and rotating service as cadets, could help fill the ranks of such a reserve.

But let us not underestimate the power of the American will and economy. We went from a disgraceful unpreparedness for war in 1939 to the industrial and fighting heart of the Allied victory six years later. Henry Kaiser, in a publicity stunt that must have sent chills down Hitler’s spine, once built a Liberty ship in one day. In Britain, men who’d served on lobster boats and gillnetters quickly became corvette crews and masters. Men without an hour of military training pulled off, at Dunkirk, one of the greatest military evacuations in history.

This isn’t to imply that we can be complacent. Since the Jones Act was enacted, our national sealift readiness has plummeted, a problematic fact for the national-security argument supporting its continuance. If Congress does move forward with changes to the Act, it will have to balance a number of important interests, including the need for a robust sealift capacity.

where does one even begin?

in reply, I have fired back with this

ok, no pointed sticks Hardberger…I only want you to qualify this one simple statement of yours:

quote: “Since the Jones Act was enacted, our national sealift readiness has plummeted”

the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 was past close to 100 years ago. Since it was enacted we built the largest fleet of merchant ships in global history and manned them to support the world’s greatest conflict. The US has then gone on to wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (twice) and Afghanistan. Please tell me one instance where enough trained, qualified and able US citizen mariners were not available or where any US flagged ships failed in their mission to supply our Nation’s armed forces? Name one…please?

He is oblivious to the idea that if the Jones act is eliminated then tug boats and OSVs will be foreign flag too, with largely foreign crews.

Ok let’s gear up and fire up the shitstorm against him again.

[QUOTE=z-drive;166984]Ok let’s gear up and fire up the shitstorm against him again.[/QUOTE]

my combat boots are already on the ground…will be looking for you to airdrop in soldier

I am taking on bunkers (cheap beer), but will be in the drop zone this evening

calling Fraqrat…talk to me Johnny

I need to in on the drop alongside z-drive…try to remember to bring a box of those dog turd cigars you mentioned and a couple bottles of Old Granddad bourbon!

WTF is wrong with this guy?!? Does he not smell the bullshit spewing out of his mouth??? Fucking guy pisses me off…

You do realize at this point Hardberger and Krapft know who we are. They are trolling us now and this is nothing but click bait. We probably doubled WB’s site traffic for the year just in the last week. He wouldn’t dare come over here with his bullshit because there is an open bar over here. I imagine if we verbally assault this guy on that site like what happens around here they’d shut us down.

With that being said I’m already inside the drop zone monitoring the situation. https://flic.kr/p/whxGvz

Was gonna say, its all free publicity for the Hardberger dude, and Workboat. They’re likely getting tons more traffic this week, as Fraqrat mentioned. To the uninformed, he likely will appear to be the hardscrabble, whistle-blowing rogue willing to stand up to the big bad government, unions, etc. I still haven’t figured out if he’s just shilling for shadowy puppet masters, or he was just looking for a gauntlet to take up to garner free publicity. Wouldn’t be surprised if he launches new business ventures in the coming weeks. Convenient timing for it.

roger Fraq…the range is active, target acquisition is on, weapons are armed and we are in formation ready for our drop

we are waiting on your word Johnny

WHERE’S JOHNNY CANAL WHEN WE NEED HIM?

[QUOTE=z-drive;166999]WHERE’S JOHNNY CANAL WHEN WE NEED HIM?[/QUOTE]

Indeed…where indeed? MIA I guess?

Fraq…you got coordinates for us yet?

Local Intel says he’s hold up in Cristobal, Panama on his freighter I’m gonna have to move positions.

https://flic.kr/p/xezYP4

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;167001]Local Intel says he’s hold up in Cristobal, Panama on his freighter I’m gonna have to move positions.[/QUOTE]

LOL! That one I have to post so everybody can see it…

Perfect…I’m coming in to bomb him back to the stone age but by the looks of his ship, he’s living in it already. I wonder what is it like to live on dead rats for one’s only fare?

      • Updated - - -

[QUOTE=Slick Cam;166997]Was gonna say, its all free publicity for the Hardberger dude, and Workboat. They’re likely getting tons more traffic this week, as Fraqrat mentioned. To the uninformed, he likely will appear to be the hardscrabble, whistle-blowing rogue willing to stand up to the big bad government, unions, etc. I still haven’t figured out if he’s just shilling for shadowy puppet masters, or he was just looking for a gauntlet to take up to garner free publicity. Wouldn’t be surprised if he launches new business ventures in the coming weeks. Convenient timing for it.[/QUOTE]

if this is publicity that the Turdburger can use to get clients and book deals then my company needs to hire him as a consultant because that man has the ability to turn sewage into solid gold!

nothing like a medium rare turdberger!

…the world wonders.

I’m over the new drop zone now send lawyers and cash…

https://flic.kr/p/xeMcCt

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;167010]I’m over the new drop zone now send lawyers and cash…[/QUOTE]

Turdburger is a lawyer… not much of one but he is a lawyer and an extraction specialist

hang in there Fraq, I’ve got a team enroute to you now

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[QUOTE=Bayrunner;167008]…the world wonders.[/QUOTE]

Turkey trots to water…

[QUOTE=c.captain;166998]roger Fraq…the range is active, target acquisition is on, weapons are armed and we are in formation ready for our drop

we are waiting on your word Johnny[/QUOTE]

A sad day indeed,all four of those beautiful F-4’s are on the bottom of the gulf now. I would see those same aircraft flying over my house just last year. They were operating out of Tyndall AFB as full scale drones.In my opinion it was one of the best ever.