The United States used to have a great Merchant Marine

until sometime around the sixties.

You used to be able to take your Z-card and put your name on the list at the union hall and in a short time you'd be sent off and running to a ship. 

A real ship, not some dopey little tug and barge rig somewhere like I have been working for years. An honest got God ship.

The United States Merchant Marine was respected the world over. Our ships were seen in every port in the world.

Then along came taxation, union greed, over regulation and the whole thing collapsed. It became cheaper to reflag American vessels to other countries.

Of course, the government will blame the unions, the unions will blame the government.

It is probably a little of the unions and a lot of government.

It's a shame because that was a wonderful source of jobs for a lot of working class people.




To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY