It's rather amusing to see how a few observations from my days in the chemical coatings industry stirred up the masses. Already, there seem some people who have decyphered my comments to either A) Suggest I am making excuses for capitalism or B) Revealed my political affiliations. 1) I'll ignore the pro-capitalism comment other than to say there is nothing wrong with capitalism (“To paraphrase Winston Churchill, capitalism is the worst economic system except for all the other forms.” - Ha-Joon Chang) The observarions were not an excuse for corperations delivering inferior product. It's not that they are deliberately delivering an inferior product, but that they are delivering the best that they can given regulations on said product. Regulations have forced chemical coatings (paint) to eliminate/reduce the number of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and other harmful componentss. This is done to protect the enviornment as well as the people using the product. This extends beyond shipbuilding. It is why we have gone from arsenic-based paint to lead-based paint, then to to oil-based paint, and finally arrive at the water-based paint we use in houses today. Many of these newer, more enviornmentally friendly products are either weaker than the proceeding product or break down faster. It's wonderful that they protect the environment and that they have less of an impact on the people applying/removing the product, but the trade-off is that they do not have the longevity. It also doesn't help that these products are constantly being adjusted based on evolving regulations. In the six years I spent in that line of work, I saw one chemical coating be reformulated within the span of 2 years in an attempt to replicate performance of the older product while also adhering to low-VOC regulations and supply issues. It doesn't take a genius to know the impact this would have on testing. 2) Then we have the older generation of former sailors chiming in. They were quick to point out that they spent hours chipping paint or applying paint during their time. They did it strung over the side of the ship in the middle of the ocean in a category 5 hurricane, etc, etc. That was then, this is now. Once again, there are regulations. Chipping old paint off into the ocean, especially older products, is essentially dumping harmful waste into the ocean. Spilling new paint into the ocean while applying paint is pollution. Foreign people do not want us to do that in their waters. At the same time, our own regulations don't want us doing in our waters. It's why most large-scale painting is done in shipyards, where the ships can be contained within tarps to prevent paint from getting into the enviornment. Safety regulations also heavily reduce the ability of the Navy to send sailors overboard to paint. 3) So far as politics go, I would have to say that your ignorance is showing. I hate to say this to people on either side of the political spectrum, but political party has little to do with this situation as it is but a tiny fish in a much larger ocean of political wheeling and dealing. Ships are rusty now under the current Administration. They were rusty under the Biden administration. They were rusty under the first Trump administration. They were rusty under the Obama Administration. I didn't pay attention during the Bush Administration, but I imagine they were just as rusty then. I imagine this issue began gradually before that due to the factors mentioned above. If I want to be cynical, I would point out that the issue of rusty ships is typically drawn out on a slow news day to generate some engagement and smear whatever administration is in charge for political points. I have seen this from the Obama administration through the current one. (Rant 1/2)

Having worked for a big company that provided paint to the United States Navy when I just got out of college, I can provide a bit o' context. 1) Paint has become more environmentally friendly. Great for the enviornment, but it does break down faster when exposed to the elements. 2) The modern ships have to use different paints on different parts of the ship. There are actually paints designed not to interfere with radar and electronics. You can't keep a couple of drums of standard haze grey aboard and call it a day. 3) In older times, it was common practice to repaint the ships when time was available. Domestic port, foreign ports, it did not matter. Today, local communities might not like paint being being slopped into their water. For this reason, painting is normally done in a control enviornment, or at least as controlled as possible. 4) It is an ocean enviornment. The amount of abuse a ship takes in the ocean is far worse than other vehicles.