The Panama Canal expansion was completed in June, 2016.
In the last six months shipments are up 25% on a tonnage basis and more on a revenue basis. One thing I did not realize was some shipping is coming through Panama instead of the Suez Canal because a full week is cut off transit time. Although I've followed this for years, that was not something I thought would happen.
This is great news on all sorts of levels. First, if logistics costs go down the entire economy is more efficient. A more productive economy means overall price restraint.
For those concerned about carbon, having more of the shipping by water and less by truck/rail lowers carbon emissions. With more freight reaching the Gulf Coast and East Coast ports instead of the West Coast, means a lot less carbon emissions shipping the same goods.
For those of us who don't like California, this hurts their ports and their lunatic dockworker unions. California has less of a grip on the national supply chain.
It's a shame Carter gave it away back in the day. What a source of revenue for our government to waste! :)
In the grand scheme, it was the right thing to do.
Yes, giving it away to Panama has so improved our relations with that part of the world. ::)
Other than that crap with Noriega, what have we become embroiled in down there since then?
Quote from: BanzaiCat on October 09, 2017, 08:30:48 PM
It's a shame Carter gave it away back in the day. What a source of revenue for our government to waste! :)
He didn't give it away. He set a date for returning control to Panama.
You may also recall Eisenhower being the one who stopped the Brits and French from retaking Suez. Colonialism had to end at some point.
Embroiled? Nothing. But sure as hell nobody liked us much before Carter gave it back, and nobody likes us much since he gave it back. I'm beginning to think it's just us they don't like.
Quote from: Sir Slash on October 09, 2017, 09:44:34 PM
Embroiled? Nothing. But sure as hell nobody liked us much before Carter gave it back, and nobody likes us much since he gave it back. I'm beginning to think it's just us they don't like.
I'm gonna go with that ;)
Quote from: mirth on October 09, 2017, 09:40:49 PM
Quote from: BanzaiCat on October 09, 2017, 08:30:48 PM
It's a shame Carter gave it away back in the day. What a source of revenue for our government to waste! :)
He didn't give it away. He set a date for returning control to Panama.
You may also recall Eisenhower being the one who stopped the Brits and French from retaking Suez. Colonialism had to end at some point.
Pretty sure it was the Egyptians that stop the Brits and the French. ;)
And why does Colonialism have to stop? If so why not free Puerto Rico?
Quote from: MetalDog on October 09, 2017, 09:34:30 PM
Other than that crap with Noriega, what have we become embroiled in down there since then?
Besides the covert Colombian drug wars, the Salvadoran civil war, the Guatemalan civil war, the Nicaraguan Contras, and the imminent Trumpist invasion of Venezuela?
Quote from: Barthheart on October 10, 2017, 05:07:24 AMPretty sure it was the Egyptians that stop the Brits and the French. ;)
from Wikipedia
QuoteOn 29 October, Israel invaded the Egyptian Sinai. Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to cease fire, which was ignored. On 5 November, Britain and France landed paratroopers along the Suez Canal. The Egyptian forces were defeated, but they did block the canal to all shipping. It later became clear that the Israeli invasion and the subsequent Anglo-French attack had been planned beforehand by the three countries.
The three allies had attained a number of their military objectives, but the Canal was now useless. Heavy political pressure from the United States and the USSR led to a withdrawal. U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had strongly warned Britain not to invade; he now threatened serious damage to the British financial system by selling the US government's pound sterling bonds. Historians conclude the crisis "signified the end of Great Britain's role as one of the world's major powers".[21][22] The Suez Canal was closed from October 1956 until March 1957. Israel fulfilled some of its objectives, such as attaining freedom of navigation through the Straits of Tiran, which Egypt had blocked to Israeli shipping since 1950.[23]
QuoteIn concert with U.S. actions, Saudi Arabia started an oil embargo against Britain and France. The U.S. refused to fill the gap until Britain and France agreed to a rapid withdrawal. The other NATO members refused to sell oil they received from Arab nations to Britain or France.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis
There's a really good book from Osprey on the topic, too. It's clear that the Egyptian military didn't stop jack-all.
Could the Anglo-French team have sustained their occupation if the US had acquiesced? Unknown for sure. Short-term probably. Long-term? Meh.
Would an Anglo-French buffer between the Egyptians and Israelis have completely altered the historical calculus of the Middle East? Oh yeah.
In any event, the return of the Canal Zone to Panama was, on balance, the right thing to do. At some point, the folks that rule in Latin America are going to have become self-managing grown ups, and we have to stop meddling and let them.
Quote from: bayonetbrant on October 10, 2017, 05:26:41 AM
In any event, the return of the Canal Zone to Panama was, on balance, the right thing to do. At some point, the folks that rule in Latin America are going to have become self-managing grown ups, and we have to stop meddling and let them.
I of course realize this. I was just dropping a troll bomb there, and it looks like it worked. O:-)
Quote from: bayonetbrant on October 10, 2017, 05:16:09 AM
Quote from: MetalDog on October 09, 2017, 09:34:30 PM
Other than that crap with Noriega, what have we become embroiled in down there since then?
Besides the covert Colombian drug wars, the Salvadoran civil war, the Guatemalan civil war, the Nicaraguan Contras, and the imminent Trumpist invasion of Venezuela?
The Monroe Doctrine says we could, so, :P
Oops, wrong thread.
Quote from: Sir Slash on October 09, 2017, 09:44:34 PM
...I'm beginning to think it's just us they don't like.
You know - if you walk down the street and see one arsehole, chances are, they're an arsehole.
If you walk down the street and
everyone is an arsehole, then chances are you're the arsehole
I obviously don't mean that - I love 'Murica :dreamer: - when I saw your statement, it just reminded me of a saying a guy at work told me a while back...made me chuckle.
Although I opposed Carter's decision back in the 1970s, today I think it turned out pretty well. It removed a long running dispute with much of Central and Latin America. The Canal has stayed open for traffic and worked well.
Quote from: Barthheart on October 10, 2017, 05:07:24 AM
If so why not free Puerto Rico?
I'm fine with that. We're not doing such a great job with it as a US territory.
Me too. I think they're the ones who don't want to leave us. At least that's what all the Puerto Ricans I know that live here in Fla. tell me.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on October 10, 2017, 06:15:42 AM
Quote from: Sir Slash on October 09, 2017, 09:44:34 PM
...I'm beginning to think it's just us they don't like.
You know - if you walk down the street and see one arsehole, chances are, they're an arsehole.
If you walk down the street and everyone is an arsehole, then chances are you're the arsehole
I obviously don't mean that - I love 'Murica :dreamer: - when I saw your statement, it just reminded me of a saying a guy at work told me a while back...made me chuckle.
99 % of Muricans are arseholes. I mean when they care more about what a woman whose claim to fame is daddy and a sex tape is doing than what is happening in their own government or the rest of the world??? Yeash that there be an arsehole.
99% is a little harsh. I'd say it's more like 50% of us who are assholes. Which 50% depends entirely on what cable news commentator you ask.
I think cable news commentators all fall in the 50% that are assholes.
Are 50% of cable news commentators assholes or are 50% of assholes cable news commentators?
All cable news commentators are within the 50% assholery quadrant.
Guess that would over-qualify me. I'm up around the 75-80% range.
At least you have room for improvement!