You seem to think I'm not answering your questions. It took three pages to get something that somewhat resembles a clear question.
I'm not sure how you missed the questions....
But here you go.
From page 1, post #10:
Here's a question I'm not sure you'd want to answer. If the U.S. Merchant Marine ceased to exist tomorrow, how would the every-day American feel it? Would they? Would prices go up or down? That's the question that I'm interested in.
From page 2, post #12:
Here's the question though. In the unlikely event this actually did happen, what would change for the U.S.?
From page 2, post #17:
Make the case. Why shouldn't the U.S. Merchant Marine be "broken up?" What do we lose and gain?
From page 2, post #19:
That's not the important question. The important one is.... why have a Merchant Marine. "It's old" doesn't cut it.
From page 3, post #21:
Maybe what we're asking here is, is doing away with Kings Point the only way the federal government (not states) can "break up" the merchant marine?
And then we go back and forth with you saying I haven't asked a question, or that it took 3 pages to ask one. Well, it's been pretty consistent... they're even related to each other.
"why care about the merchant marine?" "if the merchant marine disappeared how would American's feel it?"
We can do this with other, actual, services. If the Coast Guard went away, people would say they miss the search and rescue side of the house, or the aids to navigation side of the house. Maybe people inland wouldn't care, maybe they would. But if we asked this question on the Coast Guard's forum, people would be able to answer it. It wouldn't take them three days. They would start off by attacking anyone else (maybe eventually they would).
You had a fairly simple request.... justify your existance and tell me why I should be concerned about what this (the original article) is telling me.
You didn't. Instead you attacked a poster, which I'm A-OK with. I know I 5-and-dived. I know I not only had my undergrad paid for, but also my PA training and master's paid for by the taxpayer. I don't feel bad about that. I'm thankful for it though. I left and I'm happy on the outside. I did my time. I paid back what I owed.
And I will give you, I have plenty of typos. If you enjoy finding and declaring all that you find, you're going to love me, because I'll give you plenty to spot. My vice, not double-checking anything on a "for fun" forum.
Maybe, in the future, you should just answer the question from the first page... but maybe you can't. Maybe all you can do is take pot shots. I'm not worried about that. That's on you.