TL;DR
Despite changing US politics, the US Navy is currently the only force capable of keeping global maritime trade open, and the world is paying the price.
People take global trade for granted, but it depends on an unusual safeguard: the US Navy. The author spends over 10,000 words arguing that trade is the lifeline of the global economy, 80% of which moves by sea, and keeping it open requires a navy with global power projection like the US Navy.
Why trade matters
Trade is a quarter to a third of global economic activity, and developing countries rely on it most. Food, manufactured goods, and technology all have to travel by ship. Sea transport is incredibly cheap: one container ship can carry 20,000 TEUs, equivalent to tens of thousands of trucks, and costs a fraction of air freight.
Open seas aren't free
Historically, without a major navy policing sea lanes, pirates flourish. From Greek antiquity to the Golden Age of Piracy and the Barbary pirates, the solution was always a powerful navy that could strike pirate bases ashore. Today, US carriers, nuclear propulsion, and a global basing network keep the lanes open.
When America steps back, who takes over?
Currently the US Navy is the only force capable of the job, and China or Europe are years away. But America is increasingly reluctant to play world's policeman, and crises in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz have spiked oil prices.
If the US truly withdraws, global trade will be pricier and slower, hitting poor countries hardest. The author says this isn't necessarily doomsday, but it's a real loss for everyone—like losing the pillar of the house.
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