In all the talk about infrastructure and supply chair shortages,
nobody mentions the Panama Canal, which was a major infrastructure project and
could help solve supply chain problems if could accept the large container
ships used today.
The many container ships anchored off the California coast
are too big to go through the Panama Canal.
Since they are coming from Asia, any goods destined for the east coast
or the mid-west have to be shipped across the country by rail or truck. It would be more efficient and demand less
transit within the US if the ships could reach New York or Baltimore on the
east coast, but there is no easy way, whether via the Suez Canal, around Cape
Horn or around the Cape of Good Hope.
The Panama Canal was an amazing construction project which
greatly facilitated shipping, but it has become dated and too small for the
ships that carry most of the cargo today.
President Biden often talks about Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal;
he should also recognize Teddy Roosevelt and his contribution to east-west
commerce by overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal.
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