Indeed. I sit corrected!
In any such war intercontinental rockets will fly before the merchant ships get out of port.
PS> The mothball fleet wouldn’t even get up steam by that time.
The best you can do is to avoid any event from escalating to full scale conflict.
Talking touch and carrying a big stick may not help against others with big sticks.
So, you agree with Putin and Trump that there is no need for NATO?
For that matter, when the PRC invades Taiwan, the world should sit back and let it happen?
Or when Putin invades Norway?
That is NOT what I said. What i said and meant is:
If you somehow stumble into a war with a “top dog” it will NOT be a repeat of WWII, or any recent war you have been involved in with any “3rd world” countries.
There are not too many “top dogs” to pick a war with, but those there are is able to answer at the same level, up to and including nuclear warheads on hypersonic intercontinental rockets.
NATO is a mutual defensive agreement between nations in the Atlantic region that is useful to all partners in case of a limited war, but if someone start to throw nuclear weapons around?
MAD means that if some madman hit the big red button the best you can do is “kiss your arse goodbye”.
If PRC invades Taiwan (ROC) there will probably be loud protest and maybe a resolution issued by UN Security Council (although both China and Russia will probably raise a veto)
PS> Taiwan is NOT an independent country and the notion that the ROC government in Taipei is somehow the legitimate government of all China has been dead since 1972. Even USA has accepted that there are only ONE CHINA and that is PRC, with it’s capital in Beijing.
Will the US risk nuclear war to “protect” Taiwan? I think not.
Yes the US could certainly afford national healthcare.
You already spend a lot more on healthcare than any other OECD country:
And you are right; “that likely won’t change”, at least in the foreseeable future.
I forget the exact info (somebody may have it handy), but a large portion of the countries in the “maritime world” don’t tax their mariners income (or tax at a much lower rate). Even heavily socialized countries in Europe are on board with that.
I think the prevailing thought is that they’re not utilizing the services paid for by their taxes to the same degree as land based workers. 
New Zealand is not one of them. We pay tax on our world wide income. With a multi nationality crew I have found I was the only one paying tax.
I felt a bit aggrieved because I only used roads and other services for six months of the year and my health was separately funded.
Seamen’s tax deduction for Nordic countries:
https://www.nordisketax.net/pages/en-GB/livein/finland/sea/
Special rules for seafarers working on Norwegian ships but resides in foreign countries:
UK exemptions for Seafarers:
They handled it very well, Lockheed made a fortune off that scam.
Will Johnny Drillship get a job in this administration?
Very good list although I think number one is a pipe dream. I think after 60 days foreign you shouldn’t be liable for federal income tax.
He is trying hard enough, that’s for sure.