Opinion | The Tragic Decline of the American Navy

For all I know, the Navy might well be in decline. But our inability to keep the Strait of Hormuz open is not evidence of that. To keep straits open when there are hostile people occupying territory very close to it, people who can take out expensive ships with cheap drones, takes diplomacy.

Interesting article. Read the comments as well as the article itself to gain perspective. Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

America No Longer Rules the Waves www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

‘Though the final outcome of the Iran war is still unknown, even if America wins, it loses. The conflict is part of a process of being militarily and economically distracted while China and Russia threaten the global system’. Maybe this is what Trump, the loser, wants www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

NYT Gift Link From Me: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

Good geopolitical argument that compares the War in Iran to the Suez Crisis www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

🚨The Tragic Decline of the American Navy.. "All these vessels get old and have to be replaced every few decades. The cost of maintaining our Navy, let alone improving it or expanding it, is a matter of trillions of dollars." ⏬ www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

I approve this use of the word "tragic" in the HED, as the essay alludes to hubris and pathos rather than just shit being awful. Other than that, I have no opinion on this essay. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

A wonderful summary of current US naval decline with regard to China. The article also briefly mentions global warming which makes the future strategic situation even worse for the USN in polar regions. The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

As a believer in sea power, I see this article from Dr Kaplan as a clear explanation of where we are now. If the US is to remain a relevant power in this world, we need the political will to maintain a capable, multi-mission fleet. Gift article.

Perhaps a story board www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

Opinion Guest Essay The Tragic Decline of the American Navy By Robert D. Kaplan www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o... Gift article no paywall America no longer rules the waves Opinion New York Times

"It is no exaggeration to say that the money spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could have built a whole new Navy." www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o... Gift article. This retired Navy CAPT agrees wholeheartedly with Kaplan. Our first service is the US Navy. Not the Army. Return to Mahanian strategy.

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www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

NYTs "Opinion"? Propaganda advertising "If the U.S. Navy doesn’t grow significantly in size, the outcome could be disastrous for the whole world. Free trade, global capital flows and migration, the root of America’s worldwide power, would be impossible without a great U.S. Navy. It’s that simple."

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...

The Tragic Decline of the American Navy www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/o...