2025 is grinding to its end. Much of it was an exercise in mad one dimensional thinking and global self destruction. In hitting the Big Maritime things for 2025 I cannot get past some of the biggest outrages. I am not a religious man, but why do I keep hearing “Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind” in my mind?
- Murder on the High Seas
If a powerful nation decides to take the law in its own hands one cannot expect the rest of the world to continue to stick to the letter of the law. Simply blowing up suspected drug runners on the high seas is not, and cannot, be legal. Then, when these suspected drug runners are found to cling to their wreck, any mariner knows the game is up and they become prisoners to be further prosecuted through the courts. Speaking softly and carrying a big stick works. Speaking loudly and using a big stick is a path to disaster.
- Tariff Wars
Tariffs are a necessary evil, like surgery, but curing cancer by blowing up the patient has no benefit. Should there be tariffs? Yes some, but they should be a negotiated economic measure that change gradually, not a political football.
- Lack of Policy Predictability
Ask any businessman what they crave most and they will tell you they want a high level of predictability to reduce investment risks. Technologies and customer behavior are difficult to predict, but to add complete regulatory unpredictability makes commerce nothing but a crap shoot.
- Loss of Win/Win
Commerce may have the appearance of cutthroat competition. Uneven playing fields and corruption will enhance that appearance, but at its core commerce is not winner take all. Commerce is actually a win/win concept. Commerce only occurs when one player has a commodity that another player is willing to exchange for their commodity such that both players feel they gained. United States policy used to focus on that reality for almost 250 years. If things don’t improve, history will record the loss of worldwide win/win as the 250th anniversary of the United States. At least it will be easy to remember. 1492, Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. 2026, nothing but irrational political tricks.
- Loss of Truth
These are the kind of things we are supposed to believe according to national leadership:
- Fentanyl comes from Venezuela.
- Offshore wind kills whales.
- Gasoline is $2 per gallon or less in the US.
- Drug prices have gone down by 1500%.
- The US is the only country that uses mail-in voting.
- The President can turn the water to Los Angeles on and off.
- The 2020 election was stolen.
- The Central Park Five are guilty.
- Immigrants cause crime.
- Tylenol causes autism.
- Ukraine caused the war with Russia.
- Grocery prices are down………
Madness.
- Battleships Versus Drones
Ukraine is terrorizing the Russian Navy with drones of never ending variety, so why does the United States require battleships?
- Offshore Wind
Now offshore wind is a security risk. Apparently offshore turbines reduce the country’s ability to detect and track ocean borne threats and therefore offshore wind turbine construction needs to be stopped. Rational, peaceful countries that build strong alliances do not need to worry about that kind of stuff, but why stop offshore wind turbines construction if you are not a rational peaceful country? Forget about sustainable energy. These offshore towers are God’s own threat detection and defense mounting points. Free radar, laser, sonar, microwave, and missile mounts with their own power supplies 10 or more miles offshore. What can be more perfect than that if you have to worry about ocean borne threats?
- IMO Roll Back
Cooperation fails bit by bit. In 2021 the international community could withstand the US defection from the Paris Accords. In 2025 the US defection induced other uncooperative international players to defect from the IMO sustainability standards. If IMO can no longer serve the world, the game is up.
- Act Local
In the prior pass at leadership by the present leadership I was asked what would happen to the environment and sustainability. At that time, I answered that while the federal government may cancel sustainability initiatives, the states can still do lots of good work. Somebody in the present administration must have noticed that, because this time around the feds are not even allowing the States that level of freedom. Or universities.
- Act Localer
So if the State level does not work, will we have to go still more local. How? I see various efforts, but why draw attention to them here? Down in the trenches are those who are preparing for a fresh breeze. Tiny efforts, ready to explode when the wind turns fair. Drones against battleships.
Like monarch butterflies carrying tiny transmitters.
