The Grand Canal(s)

Truth Matters

Not so many years ago the Unites States returned the Panama Canal to Panama. We had used gunboat diplomacy a hundred years previously to split that country off of Columbia so we could build it, and had negotiated a 99 year lease on the land and improvements from the newly created Panama. When the 99 years was finished, even though a different dictator had taken over that country every few years, we honored our agreement and turned the canal over to them. At the time quite a few conservatives were unhappy with that move. The administration, however, had assured them that the canal was now too narrow and shallow for modern shipping and that neither our navy nor large cargo carriers could use it anyway.

Enter the Chinese. They cut a deal with Panama to perform a five billion dollar upgrade on the canal. As part of the deal, China took over running the ports on both the Atlantic and Pacific ends. That gave them virtual control of the canal. That upgrade is now nearing completion. Larger ships will now be able to use the waterway. The very largest supertankers, however, are still too large to navigate it.

Read the entire story on the e-Edition of our newspaper. http://www.etypeservices.com/Advance%20News%20JournalID455/