America's Merchant Marine Weakness: A Strategic Vulnerability Decades in the Making
The Financial Times reports that recent tensions with Iran have exposed a critical fragility in America's maritime infrastructure: the shift from 'efficiency' to 'resilience' in how goods reach U.S. shores remains incomplete. This isn't about today's gas prices—it's about whether America can sustain itself in a genuine crisis.
Bottom Line
The Financial Times piece underscores a gap between America's current maritime posture and what a genuine strategic challenge would require. Decades of optimizing for cost have left the country dependent on ships, crews, and supply routes it doesn't fully control. Rebuilding that capacity—the 'resilience' the article discusses—is a long-term project that remains largely aspirational. This is about strategic depth, not day-to-day commerce.