What happened to the Splendor this week at sea is symptomatic of what has happened to America’s middle class.
Let’s start with hardworking people scrimping and saving for a long overdue vacation. Now enter Carnival offering a dream getaway… but it’s really a nightmare.
This company, like any good corporation, registers the ship offshore in Panama so it escapes the taxes that you and I pay, and also escapes regulations that might protect the passengers. Then it oursources the ship’s jobs to the Third World, where crewman receive only basic safety training. Add to that, the founder of the cruise line renounces his American citizenship and flees to Israel to avoid millions in taxes.
It has all the ingredients of a perfect story of corporate neglect and greed. Once the ship breaks down, the corporation screams for a bailout, just like Goldman and Citibank. And just like other corporate bailouts, who is called to bail them out? Yes, the American taxpayers, in the form of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
Where is the Navy from Panama, where the ship is registered? Where are the Israeli crews to rescue the ship? Where are the Carnival rescue teams?
If it smells like BP, that is because it is like BP. Carnival is a company built around dodges of taxes and safety. Once again, just like after the banking collapse on Wall Street, it’s the middle class that takes it on the chin. And just like after those disasters, nothing changes.
The investigation of the Splendor disaster at sea is to be coordinated by Panamanian officials. You’ve gotta be kidding.

This post is tagged carnival cruise lines, corporate bailout, Investigative guy, John Mattes, out source, panama, panamanian registery, passenger safety, ship fire, tax dodge, the splendor