Ian Kumekawa’s “Empty Vessel” masterfully uses the history of a single barge, the Jascon 27, to dissect the complexities of the global economy and maritime history. This thought-provoking narrative unveils how ships, like this one first commissioned in 1978, have profoundly shaped our world, impacting everything from military operations to even the evolution of reality television. the barge, which has served diverse roles, including supporting England’s recapture of the Falkland Islands to housing auto workers in Germany and eventually morphing into a floating prison, reveals the often-hidden connections between offshore havens, flags of convenience, and international entities. News Directory 3 dives into how this interstitial existence in arbitration tribunals and free zones highlights the abstract and material interplay shaping our world today. Discover what’s next as this unique perspective on globalization unfolds.
“Empty Vessel” Examines Global economy Through a Single Barge
Virtually everything travels by sea, from electronics to produce. Ships have shaped civilization, influencing literature and even reality TV. But what about the vessels themselves?
Ian Kumekawa’s new book, “Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge,” examines the global economy through the life of the barge Jascon 27. Commissioned in 1978 and built in Sweden, the barge, later named Balder Scapa, has supported the offshore economy worldwide.
Kumekawa uses the vessel’s journey to highlight the maritime world’s importance, focusing on the deterritorialized spaces it occupies. The offshore world, Kumekawa argues, has become increasingly significant.
The barge’s early voyages included supporting England’s recapture of the Falkland Islands in 1982. Despite appearing as a patriotic endeavor, the Vessel operated under a holding company registered in the Channel Islands.
Later, the barge housed auto workers in Germany and served as a floating prison in New York city and off the coast of England. By 2010, it housed workers servicing the fossil fuel industry in Nigerian waters.
Ownership frequently changed, involving various international entities. the flags flown often represented flags of convenience, reducing tax and regulatory burdens. This allowed New York City, as Kumekawa notes, “to literally offshore its prisoners.”
Kumekawa connects the Vessel’s deployments to broader geopolitical forces, such as thatcher’s free-market policies and the war on drugs. He draws parallels between the prison barge and the deregulation of Wall Street, both existing outside local control.
Kumekawa goes beyond describing neoliberal policies, focusing on the Vessel’s interstitial existence in arbitration tribunals, tax havens, and free zones. These placeless venues highlight the complex interplay between the abstract and the material.
“The empire might have won the war, but it would need private foreign assistance in guaranteeing the peace.such was the uneasy bargain of Margaret Thatcher’s government: globalism and nationalism, a growing state security apparatus, and a privatized economic sphere.”
what’s next
“Empty Vessel” provides insight into the intricate relationship between ships, offshore havens, and the global economy, offering a fresh perspective on globalization and its impact.
