IDK, my last work of investigative journalism opened a congressional inquiry.
Obviously we aren’t going to reach Upton Sinclair’s level of influence (then again Upton Sinclair wrote an entire book about how ineffective and overrated the jungle was) but the US Merchant Marine is in the worst state it’s been in centuries and we can do good.
My freind Robert Frump certainly did.
Plus we don’t need much. Take the 4+Billion is spending on the next Zumwalt class ship, give 2 of it to the USCG and 2 of it to Marad and let them spend it at shipyards overseas… Suddenly you have a pair of heavy icebreakers and a huge array of new national security capabilities and commercial opportunities.
And I don’t mean to get political but Obama filled the single most important seat for in our industry - one that’s previously been seated by 4-star admirals and succesfull shipowners - for years with a junior congressional staffer who never set foot on the ocean… and replaced him (after the systematic sexual abuse of children) with a submariner of little note or jnfluence. If that’s not presidential misconduct, I’m really not sure what is.