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China expects its own 'Monroe Doctrine' to be respected and enforced in the eastern Pacific
As China becomes the world's biggest economy, it seeks respect for its own version of a Monroe Doctrine of its own. For Americans, the doctrine confers upon the United States undisputed dominance over the Americas. This, China wants for itself in the Pacific and the South China Sea.
Such is the conclusion of an essay in London's Economist, arguably the leading economic periodical in the Anglosphere. As early as 1823, US President James Monroe "laid out as policy that refused to "countenance any interference in the Western hemisphere by colonial powers; all incursions would be treated as acts of aggression", said the Economist essay.
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Retired US admiral advises us on how world shipping should cope with the challenge of decarbonisation
While brimming with gung-ho advice on how to achieve UN decarbonisation goals, Rear Admiral Nadeau (USCG, Retired) still acknowledges that there are substantial obstacles in the way.
Expressing confidence of victory, Adm Nadeau's article in Ventura, California's gCaptain possessed all the "we shall overcome" rhetoric typical of pre-battle inspirational speeches.
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Losses of containers at sea have increased 4-fold in the last 3 years because they are less seaworthy
The World Shipping Council reported that for 2020-2021, the two-year average annual loss of containers overboard was 3,113 units. That's four times the loss for the previous three years.
Thus, begins a thorough-going an article in San Diego's Claims Journal by Glenn Mathias, director of the Australia Maritime Consultancy and a former Merchant Marine ship captain in which he blames these accelerating losses on a cavalier attitude to the lack of seaworthiness as simply as another cost of doing business.
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Measures taken in the Covid crisis might be carried into the future, but would that be wise or foolish?
In recent years, there has been much talk about the "new normal". But in the coming year we shall be re-acquainted with "old normal" punctuated by a peak seasons and a slack, and last minute seasonal air freight rushes.
And then there are changing circumstances occasioned by the peaks and troughs of trends which inevitably makes victors and victims in that endless game of musical chairs, that one sea lawyer called "who's holding the bag".
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