The First thing to Know: U. S. Steel
The first thing to know about U.S. Steel is that the United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) was once the largest company in the world. Formed from a series of mergers orchestrated by J.P. Morgan to consolidate the steel manufacturing holdings of the “Robber Barons of the Gilded Age,” U.S. Steel was simultaneously both the world’s largest steel producer and the world’s largest corporation. Incorporated in 1901, U.S. Steel is back in the news.
U.S. Steel is in the news today because a Japanese company made an offer to acquire the corporation that our government is questioning because steel is a national security concern. I’m going to make a case in favor of the merger for the very same reason: You have to have steel to make bullets!
Speaking of making bullets, do yourself a favor by investing some small amount of time sitting down to a world map with a box of push-pins. Start by pushing a pin into every authoritarian or non-democratic country actively working toward the demise of the United States of America (I hope you have a lot of pins). When you’re finished, stand back and look at any patterns that leap out at you. Astonishing, eh? Downright amazing, actually: We are fucking surrounded by push-pins!
Some of the push-pins, like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran should be larger than some others; however, it should be clear that a whole lot of countries are clearly working against us as adversaries. Can you be so naive as to believe that the timing of immigrant caravans to the U.S. are a total coincidence? The Wagner-induced brush-fire conflicts in Africa? It’s a good thing for us that we Americans have allies in this world.
Among our allies, one of the few nations we don’t have to pay to be our friend is Japan. Still near the push-pin map? Notice the country closest to our most serious threats? I’m not a geopolitical expert, but looking at the map, Japan would appear to be Western Civilization’s bulwark against military threats from the East; our first line of defense against China and it’s minions …by choice pf the Japanese people.
It’s a choice borne of necessity, of course, but I think most Americans believe Japan will continue to be our close friend and ally as long as we’re both free. Seen in the light of our national security interests, isn’t providing Japan access to steel made in their acquired plants by our well-paid American workers in Pittsburgh very much like sending bullets to the front line?
I say sell U.S. Steel to the Japanese and be happy America finally got a break in a dangerous world.