NAVAL INTERESTS: SOME MONTHS AGO WE BROUGHT THIS SITE TO YOUR ATTENTION . BY WAY OF REINTRODUCTION BELOW IS A POST FROM THE SITE THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION AND ANOTHER LINK FOR YOU:
SKEPTICAL MAHAN
Alfred Thyer Mahan was a naval officer who taught at the U.S. Naval Academy and was a founding father of the U.S. Naval Institute. He is considered the foremost authority on the concept of sea power" and we often cite him when we are being critical of the ceaseless attacks on the U.S. domestic merchant fleet ( The Jones Act Fleet ), and our domestic ship yards, by Arizona Senator John McCain. McCain is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who undoubtedly studied Mahan at the Naval Academy and should know better than to constantly attack the Jones Act. McCain has become such an enemy of U.S. controlled shipping between and among our own states that we often observe that he is to the American Merchant Marine what Jane Fonda was to his generation of naval aviators. The teachings of Alfred Thyer Mahan are falling into disfavor with the more "Progressive Democrats" who simply want to see the ruin of the United States, but this dislike includes some Republicans like McCain from land locked states. To solve the mystery of why congressional delegations from land locked states with no access to domestic shipping are so keen on the killing of domestic shipping with all of its defense and security benefits to the United States we suggest that investigative journalists follow the money.
Of course the most obvious money involved is that which is not there. These states have no maritime industries and thus no constituency with any interest in maritime and naval matters. This is why these delegations are targeted by the disguised foreign interests intent on taking over our "cabotage" (coast wise and inland) trades with campaign money. Perhaps some of the recipients of these campaign funds aren't even aware of the foreign interests that are hidden behind the American incorporated "official" donors. There is one thing for sure in states like Arizona there is no numerically significant constituency interested in maritime issues. No one back home is monitoring how their representatives and senators are voting on naval / maritime issues. Historically members of both parties from these land locked states have held leading anti Jones Act positions. This is the atmosphere that attracts the enemies of U.S. domestic shipping to back certain Congressional members of land locked states. Alfred Thyer Mahan would be appalled.
At the SKEPTICAL MAHAN site you will see a number of captioned illustrations like the one above. You can scroll through them and even post your own suggested captioned. Its a fun way to look in on the current debate between an administration that has been heavily influencing the present naval officer corps by firing those flag officers who understand the teaching of Mahan and the surviving remnant trying to save not just the U.S. Navy but the larger base of U.S. "Sea Power".
While the Obama administration is busy trying to eliminate the influence of Mahan on U.S. naval professionals, that old dragon China has their hymnals open "Ode of Mahan" and are following the advice that made the U.S. the number one sea power in the world for over a century to a "T".
Mahan is never out of print or very expensive.
And again, for a humorous introduction to the grand master of sea power go to: SKEPTICAL MAHAN
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