By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) In our article “THIS IS NOT A DRILL” we sounded the alarm on the failure of the US Merchant Marine. We followed that article with a video titled “PAN PAN – An Impassioned Call For Change” A video in which I cried (literally) for help from Congress to conduct a Truman Committee type look into the US Navy and US Merchant Marine… not to lay blame or punish but to us, all eliminate assumptions and align interests to rebuild the merchant fleet.
We received a lot of feedback from readers on the deckplates of ships all the way up to the highest levels of the shipping industry and US Government. We were invited to speak on a top US Navy Podcast and I worked to answer every question sent to me via LinkedIn and our forum. Many wanted to help but did not know how. Many wanted simple answers to simple questions they have about the problems we face today.
Few liked the answers I gave. The truth is there is no simple answer. What we are facing right now, not just in US Flagged shipping but internationally and inside our US Navy and USCG, is an insidious compilation of events that are interconnected in a web of complexity. Further complicating matters is the fog of uncertainty that has, since the start of COVID, engulfed our nation, our industry, and the world itself.
This video tells the story of how we can navigate through this fog and chaos via solid leadership and the return to fundamentals.
We start by eliminating assumptions through the use of ‘dumb’ questions. -John
To learn more please join the conversation on this topic over on our forum: gCaptain Forum – An Impassioned Call for saving the Merchant Marine
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“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” by Richard Feynman
The Abandoned Ocean by Andrew Gibson
Maritime Economics By Martin Stopford
The Billionaire Raj by James Crabtree
Hunts Point Terminal Market: The Demand for Waterborne Transportation
Fourth Arm of Defense by Dr. Sal Mercogliano
Updated: November 18, 2020 (Originally published September 20, 2020)
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