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Theodore Roosevelt dug the Panama Canal for us, finishing just in time for World War I. His rationale, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” Carried away, as usual, Teddy sent his Great White Fleet on tour around the world.
Teddy was a protege of Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist of the 19th century, who believed that control of the high seas was imperative to maintain free trade and national security. Mahan saw choke points — straits and canals — as the key to leveraging sea power.
Forty-five years earlier, the British and the French had built the Suez Canal to tie India and Indochina closer to Europe.
So, who stepped up after World War II to replace Britain as the world’s next Horatio Hornblower? Who now controls the high seas after the default of Britannia rules the waves?
You guessed it. The U.S., last seen racing a carrier group from East Asia to the Red Sea to defend Israel … and leaving our longtime friend, the island nation of Taiwan, more exposed.
Both canals are now virtually out of commission. The Panama Canal is under construction to expand capacity and has seen limitations on ship depth, the Suez is currently being held hostage by the Houthi tribe of Yemen. If we want to maintain our role as the guarantor of open waters, we can’t afford to be so nonchalant about having both the Panama and the Suez canals out of service at the same time.
Tom Deegan
Orono
