Anyone in .gov office lamenting the fact that Ameristan no longer has “the largest surface fleet on the 7 seas” is a benighted moron who needs to be removed from their post.
Rebar is cheaper than ships.
J. Pournelle theorized Project THOR in the 1950s.
Klabautermann's Hammer 
Oh, and more importantly & less jingoistic-
https://athertonkd.substack.com/p/governanceabhorsavaccum
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