Empty Vessel by Ian Kumekawa

6 out of 10

A specific cargo ship sailed around the world for many decades.  It was constructed at a time when containers were first being standardized.  Standardization led to much more global cooperation between ports and more efficiency, which led to more profit and more trade.  Some regimes in South America and the Middle East were displeased with the new order and power structure.  The ship would regularly "reflag" in order to find cheaper labor and dodge taxes.  It served as a floating prison near New York and London.  It was bought, sold, mortgaged, refinanced, and renovated numerous times.  It benefited from a growing 3rd way neoliberal knowledge economy, but its activity was dependent on fluctuating oil prices.  It is now decommissioned and sitting on the sidelines.  Though, there could still be life ahead.  With an eye for retroeclecticism, many ports and shipyards have been remodeled to accommodate upscale cosmopolitan real estate catered to tourists and city dwellers.

The tension between local onshore and global offshore is very likely to persist.