Congress Passes $2T Infrastructure Law, Potentially Benefits Millions
They spent $2 Trillion to fix infrastructure. Probably wasn’t a great idea to give it all to @PeteButtigieg but the law itself could have improved the lives of hundreds of millions.
USCG Licensing Halt Highlights Need for War Department Shift
Sadly it’s not just TSA The USCG licensing office is closed and can’t issue US Merchant Marine licenses while 5 🇺🇸 ships remain in the Persian Gulf. Is it time to move USCG and USMM to the Department of War?
US Lifts Sanctions, France Cracks Down—Energy Politics Murky
The US is removing sanctions from shadow fleet ships to ease energy prices while France increases seizures. Hard to tell how much of this is politically motivated.
Limited Wars Prove Containment Can Prevent Escalation
Heard on Bloomberg podcast: “Wars spiral out of control even if they are meant to be contained. This is a historical fact.” WOW. This is the most dangerous statement I’ve seen from any media. And it’s false. Do NOT believe the media when...
Shipping Blind Spots Drive Sticky Inflation and Price Shocks
What if I told you inflation is sticky because nobody is watching the ships? What if I told you nobody can predict the effect of Hormuz on energy price shocks because nobody understands shipping? What if I told them, they could...
Excluding Allies and Academics Fuels Unchecked US Military Dominance
This IMHO is the most important post of the month. Read it, reread it, then take notes. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT RULES OF ENGAGEMENT RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Why was @secwar able to hermetically seal the southern border, eliminate crime in DC, arrest Maduro, and sink...
Trump’s Iran Plan Favors Navy, Air Power over Ground
President Trump's Iran strategy has what the Forever Wars never did: having the Army take a backseat to naval and airpower.
War Decision Questioned as Trillion‑dollar Funds Vanish
Not thrilled about the Iran war. Blown away by how well the military is executing but the decision to strike? Still… I’d storm Gallipoli or charge with the Light Brigade before voting to reopen the border & hand Mayor Pete the money...
US Navy Holds Power to Shut Strategic Strait
Only if the United States lets them. The US Navy can close the strait at anytime to anyone paying the enemy.
US Navy Ready, Needs Private Shipyard Investment From Europe
It’s not even that the US Navy is unwilling to secure world trade, they are eager to do so. We have the people, resources, systems and weapons to do so. What we don’t have is shipyard investment. But guess what? Our...
US Indifference Threatens Europe’s Strait Reopening
What if the United States doesn’t care about reopening the strait for Europe? My latest gCaptain Op-Ed 👇
War Over Ships and Tariffs, Not Hormuz Opening
Let's unpack this.. What if the White House has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz? What if this war is really about ships & tariffs? I had a long discussion with senior DOE official yesterday on background. I can’t share...
Court Ruling Threatens Jones Act, Haters Celebrate
And there it is folks. The moment Jones Act haters have been waiting for… https://t.co/BZQNHrjdj5
Captain Hill Accused of Being Driven Out by Houthis
Paging @ChowdahHill Will Captain Hill please report to bridge. Someone here claims you got “chased away” from the Red Sea by Houthis. 💀
Bombs Near USS Ford: Real Footage Ignored by Pro‑Iran Disinfo
I’m honestly surprised the pro-Iran disinfo crowd hasn’t found this real footage of bombs detonating next to the USS Ford carrier. IYKYK. https://t.co/7LFKOYH0vl
Experts Doubt Iran Can Sink U.S. Carrier, Bet $100K
We’ve reached the point where serious, smart people I’ve known for 10+ years think Iran can sink a U.S. aircraft carrier. Thank you MSM. Not saying it’s impossible but I’ll put $100K on the other side of that bet right now.
US Reminds Iran of Its Carrier and Marine Might
Dear Speaker of Islamic Republic, you do know we have 9 more aircraft carriers and an entire Marine Corps…. right? Not saying anyone here wants to deploy them along the strait but, ultimately, it’s not really your choice.
Detailed Insights Shared In
As I laid out with great detail in my hour and a half long video last night….
US Merchant Marine Reserve Fleet Essential for Large-Scale Invasion
There can be boots on the ground without ships but a large scale land invasion would absolutely require the US Merchant Marine ready reserve fleet These ships are too big to hide. @mercoglianos is watching them closely. Follow him & hit...
Reliable Iran War Sources Still Hold Up After Two Weeks
My list of accounts to follow for quality information about the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz holds up two weeks later… 👇👇
Germany Reroutes Warship Around Africa to Dodge Houthi Drones
“Germany has NATO Europe's largest minehunting fleet and explicitly routed its newest, largest warship around Africa last October rather than transit the Red Sea ... against Houthi drones” Pathetic. (But still massively stronger than the Canadian Navy)
Singapore's 8‑day Fall Still Beats Today's 16‑Day Stalemate
The swiftest military defeat of a well defended chokepoint in the history of the world was the Fall of Singapore, 1942 It took Japan 8 days and 5,000 causalities. That’s the world record It’s been 16 days with 200 🇺🇸 causalities… and this...
Trump Highlights NATO's Weak Naval Response in Red Sea
During the entirety of the Red Sea operation closure ALL of NATO couldn’t muster more than 3 warships at a time you donut hole An entire German task force sailed around AFRICA to avoid the Houthis They are demonstrably WEAK & Trump...
Australian Navy Unprepared, Declines Biden’s Red Sea Request
They turned down Biden’s request to do this in the Red Sea too. This has nothing to do with Trump… it has everything to do with the fact the Australian Navy is woefully unprepared to defend itself against China and can’t...
Navy's Ship‑decommissioning Prowess: Claim Quickly Retracted
As I’ve posted dozen of times before: the US Navy has become extremely good at decommissioning ships Ohhhhhhh, wait, hold the phone Belay my last 🎉🎉
Escorts Aren't a Sideshow; Expertise Matters in Maritime Strategy
“Escorts are a sideshow” 🤡🤡 Now I’ve been critical of our ability to surge enough destroyers to conduct effective convoys…. But “sideshow”?? And what qualifies an energy advisor to understand maritime choke points? 60 Minutes should have called Sal @mercoglianos
Turn Anger Into Determination, Not a Wasteful Weapon
Lots of angry people on both sides today. This is not the way to win. Why? Isn’t our anger justified? Yes and no. But that doesn’t matter I’m working on an article to explain anger, it will include instructions on building a...
Absurd “Shoes vs Boots” Line Exposes Trump’s Rhetoric
“We need shoes on the ground in Iran, not boots on the ground.” Says Trump 1.0 Secretary of Defense It would take me a week to construct a take that dumb. How does he do it? https://t.co/ctsBNu0SbD
Navy’s Capability Outpaces Capacity, Leaving Few Ready Ships
Hegseth says the Navy is performing better than expected. He says the Navy had a comprehensive plan for the Strait of Hormuz. He says we have the best warships in the world. He says we have enough munitions. All of that can be true. And...
US Navy Excels at some Missions, Falters at Others
The hardest thing for me to explain this week: the US Navy can be phenomenal at some missions and shockingly unprepared for others. Some operations take time even in the best conditions. This article explains the dichotomy well..
Globalist Mole Inside Administration Sabotaged Strait of Hormuz
Not gonna sugar coat this and do not care if it costs me my new Pentagon press credentials and access to this administration. The left smeared my name in a major WAPO hit piece and the right can do the...
Pentagon's Neglect Angers US Merchant Marine
The easiest ways to infuriate the US Merchant Marine: Not give them advance warning on military action. Not provide naval protection for 🇺🇸 ships (5 are stuck in the Gulf) Refuse to thank them after multiple ships are attacked. Waive the Jones Act. The...
Navy Unprepared Despite Promises, Takes Over a Month
I was assured by numerous naval sources that the Navy would be ready. I didn’t think the Navy would be ready. But I did think it would take less than a full month.
Perception, Not Power, Determines War’s Endgame
Let me tell you the secret difference between a Navy and merchant ship captain that goes beyond the obvious. It’s 1AM & I feel sick to my stomach over this war and can’t sleep. I’m at a shipowner conference & I had...
Iran, Not Trump or Hegseth, Behind Ship Explosions
Who everyone I talked to at the shipowners conference today thinks is blowing up merchant ships: Trump & Hegseth Who is actually blowing up ships: Iran
Ship Crew Titles Vary by Flag, Role, and Service
Some are asking me why the people who work aboard ship are called different things. No hard rules but the rule of thumb is… Seafarers: crew that work on ships with flags different than their nationality (e.g. an Indian crew aboard a...
Shipping Industry’s Small World Sparks Surprising Ship Recognition
The crazy thing about the shipping industry is how small it can be. At a shipowners conference right now and a guy is telling a crazy story about what happened to his ship in Oman. I say, “Was it this...
Few Mines Can Spike Insurance Premiums
Is it capable of “masse mining”? Does it even need to be if just a few mines can make insurance premiums skyrocket?
U.S. Shipping Irrelevance Drives Major Conference Collapse
In truth this is *supposed* to be the largest shipowner conference in North America. Once it was. Just five or six years ago maritime companies used to buy out every billboard along I-95. Every hotel within 20 miles sold out...
Iran Finally Mines Hormuz, Pentagon Distracted by Lobster
For 47 years world leaders have talked about striking Iran. None did for one reason above all: because Iran always threatened to mine the Strait of Hormuz TodayIran actually did it and the old pentagon press corps is more worried about...
Record T
I’m at the biggest shipowner conference in North America right now. I live in a very liberal town in Massachusetts and yet I have never seen worse cases of TDS in my life. The London shipping cabal is PISSED
Even Small Boats Can Deploy or Drift Mines
The problem is any dhow or boat can lay mines. It’s also sometimes possible to drift mines into position. https://t.co/vXgsVFMofN
Energy Secretary’s Deleted Post Fuels Unverified Navy Escort Rumors
Lots of rumors that the US Navy has already started ship escorts. Hard to prove a negative but the source appears to be the Energy Secretary who already deleted the post. https://t.co/9ieYFTNG8E
Shipping Solves Issues While Riding a Smoldering Powder Keg
“We, in the shipping industry, are in the business of solving problems. But we are fixing problems while sitting on a smoldering powder keg,” Bud Darr, President of the Cruise Line Association https://t.co/i4e1kemoUq
Shipping Risks Draw Full House at CMA Conference
Full house at the CMA Shipowner conference for @loriannlarocco panel on shipping risks. Go visit @gCaptain for her latest articles 1/2 https://t.co/7frbqs68r7
Unverified Mine Rumors Force Shipowners to Demand Escorts
Shipowners at CMA tell me there’s evidence of MINES in the Strait of Hormuz. They admitted the rumor is unconfirmed. Problem is, from their perspective, it doesn’t matter. Perception is reality and the risk is too high. They won’t sail without...
Clarifying: US Navy Warship or Aviation Escort in Hormuz?
Did the US Navy send a warship through the Strait of Hormuz? Or was this an aviation escort?
Maritime Industry Battling Unprecedented Black Swan Disruptions
“Over the past few years, we have experienced disruptions few people imagined… it sometimes feels like the entire maritime industry is under attack by a flock of black swans,” Steve Carmel, US maritime Administrator and Commandant of the US Merchant...
No Jones Act Discussions Allowed on This Platform
Just a quick reminder that I don’t discuss the Jones Act online. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Weekly Royal Navy Headlines: Complete Summary Inside
A full summary with everything you need to know about @RoyalNavy headlines this week: https://t.co/2oTXIbhDBG