In This Issue:

The Turning Economy? Free Association; Where is the Wisdom? and Urgings.

Excerpt from Free Association:

Pithy - The moans about the Congress gutting various subsidy programs for US shipping are now whimpers. What none of the players in this trivial blue-water shipping state do not understand is that the US has a huge fleet – the second largest in the world. The reality is that US shipping capital resides in Greenwich and controls a large fleet simply not US flagged. The second reality is that the Republic of the Marshall Islands flag is a captive US flag. The Marshalls are in "free association" with the US, analogous I suppose to the Cook Islands in the antipodes. More importantly, if Marshallese law does not cover a difficulty, US law does -- by law. What is curious is the lack of US recognition of all this of a well-run flag under a government which accepts substantial US monies in aid and whose ties to the US are strong and strategically necessary. And yes, there are many Americans – seafarers and landside – employed under the Marshallese banner. Yes, Virginia, there is a large US fleet. It simply does not fly Old Glory.

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