Vic Socotra

08 April 2009

The Big E

(Enterprise capturing Tripoli)

The gang stopped at the bar down the street from the corporate building conveniently located I was attempting to explain the oil shock to a young professional who has no idea what inflation is like.

I tried to tell him about the strike-of-the-week from whatever Union has had enough of falling behind in their paychecks; the lines at the gas station, even-and-odd, and that the alleged crisis of the day, following on a binge of massive entitlement expansion and adventurist land-wars overseas, re ally didn't hold a candle to what we are embarked upon now.

He got a little goggle-eyed when I said that a big thirty-year loan at 4.5% would pay for itself, since the system will have to inflate its way out of debt, or collapse.

"The time to do something is now," I said solemnly, sipping on a $4 Happy Hour Long Island Iced Tea. "This is the time for rash and reckless acts."

“That’s great,” he said. I could see the wheels of opportunity turning around, trying to fit on the new world in the context of the young woman he is going to marry soon, and the life and family they intend to start together.

I swirled the faux ice-tea. “No,” I responded. “It is not. There are a lot of people thinking the same way. They see what is coming. Like the pirates of Somalia. Despite the international patrols, they have grabbed fifteen ships in the last month, including a Danish-owned container ship with a crew of twenty-one Americans on board. This is starting to look like the same probl em that President Jefferson faced with the Barbary Pirates.”

My young friend looked dubious, since the kidnap and enslavement of American citizens, and the reasons for founding the institutions of the Navy and Marine Corps are further away even than the OPEC oil embargo.

“I thought all that was taken care of,” he said. “Couldn’t the Navy just kick their butts?”

“I suppose they could, if directed to do so. We have ships there, and so does China and Russia. But the day is soon coming when we are going to be able to do a lot less. This is part of what this big Change is all about, and it is happening now.”

I looked around to see if there was an ashtray on the table. Not that I would smoke in decent company, but it is comforting to know if it is prohibited or not. “Here is the deal: we are printing all the money we need to get out of our current problem, and then we are going to have to deal with the consequences. Secretary Gates already sta rted, and it goes downhill from there.”

“You mean the DoD budget is going to collapse?” asked my friend, looking anxiously to see if the bartender was in an attentive mood.

“Not immediately. There is plenty of money in the program for all sorts of things. There will be more of some stuff- unmanned aircraft and sensors, mostly. They will be useful for the wars we still need to resolve. But there will be fewer contractors like us, that is for sure.”

“That isn’t good.”

“It is not about good or bad. It is about priorities. The Navy realizes it. They are scrambling to try to free up money for the future. That is why they are going to put down the Big E.”

“What is that?” he said.

I sighed. “It is the nickname for USS Enterprise (CVN-65. It is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier,” I said, gesturing grandly for another iced tea. “She is the eighth U.S. naval ship to bear the name. Now that Kitty Hawk has been put to sleep, and USS Pueblo is still in the hands of the North Koreans, she is the oldest active vessel still in commission. Except USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, of course, which is mostly a ceremonial affectation.”

I could see the glazed look coming over my friends face as the bartender brought another round. I had places to go and people to see, so I resolved that this would be the one for the road.

“It is a great story, since the first Enterprise was in the same battle group as Old Ironsides. Funny to think that seven more ships of that name has served while she is still afloat in Boston harbor.”

“I would like to see it, if I ever get up there.”

“It may be one of the last Navy ships, the way things are going. See, when Tom Jefferson was inaugurated in 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli demanded a quarter million bucks in exchange for a promise not to attack American merchant ships. Remember, that was serious money in those days, since the whole Federal budget was only about ten million bucks.”

I took a pull of the iced tea, starting to gain steam. “Jefferson said “screw that,” and the Pasha responded by declaring war. He cut down the flagstaff in front of the U.S. Consulate in Tripoli, and then Dey of Algiers and Tunis piled on. It was grim. Jefferson was pissed, and sent a battlegroup to defend American interests. He didn’t bother telling Congress until it was too late to recall them. Congress hasn’t changed a bit, and neither have Presidents.”

“So what happened?”

"Well, USS Enterprise was one of them, and the Americans destroyed the 14-gun corsair Tripoli in the first fight of a four-year war. It was a big deal at the time, and that is why there has been an Enterprise in the Fleet ever since.”

“I had no idea. That is pretty cool. So why are they getting rid of the current one?”

“Money. Big E was supposed to decommission in six years, and keep the number of aircraft carriers at eleven, until her replacement joins the inventory. That is not going to happen, and I have heard people explaining why ten carriers is plenty.”

“Well, that is a lot of them, isn’t it?”

I snorted. “It was not that long ago that the fight was about whether fifteen of them could do the number of jobs assigned.”

“Well, you can’t afford everything, you know? Maybe we ought to cut down on the number of jobs the Navy is supposed to do.”

I put my drink down and nodded. “Several people in town think you got that right. I can see the time coming when we won’t be able to afford anything at all. Imagine a world without aircraft carriers.”

As I fumbled in my pockets for the keys to the Bluesmobile, I could see my friend trying to grasp the concept. He didn't seem to have much of a problem with the idea.

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