When government breaks down . . .

Hanjin Shipping Co., the seventh largest container shipper in the world, filed for bankruptcy on August 31.  I’m a capitalist, you’re a capitalist, and sometimes bad things happen.  That’s the way the game is played.

Fast forward to October, and there are law suits in play all over the world.  Creditors are going after ships, cargo is being held hostage, and lawyers are doing what lawyers do.  While it plays out in courts around the world, many Hanjin ships remain stranded at sea, drifting in international waters for fear of being seized by creditors if they dock.

Lawsuits are ugly, particularly international lawsuits, and the complexity compounds the problem.  What few are talking about are the crews of these ships.  While the lawyers do their thing, according to IHS Maritime and Trace in early October there are still something like 20 Hanjin ships stranded at sea. 

That means the crews of more than 20 Hanjin ships are stranded at sea.

Do we really think international law should be constructed to hold people hostage as collateral damage?  I’m a rabid capitalist, but shouldn’t there be limits?