Mark Goldberg and I had a funny conversation this morning about Ollie North’s rant on the Law of the Sea over at Human Events. I won’t be responding to every ridiculous opposing argument (that would take up far too much time), just the ones that strike the funny bone with special force.
North calls the International Seabed Authority “a bloated, multinational bureaucracy” and suggests it’s going to tax Americans. Quick background on the ISA: it’s a small outfit whose sole purpose is to administer mining companies’ claims to sites in the deep seabed. And since deep seabed mining is mostly an issue for the future, there isn’t even a whole lot for it to do right now.
Mark strikes back at UN Dispatch:
For the record, the International Seabed Authority has a budget of $5.8 million a year and about 40 employees. Human Events, by contrast, has a larger staff. Also, contra North, the International Seabed Authority does not have the authority to tax American citizens — even so, that would require more employees!
Just another day in anti-LOS land.
— Scott Paul
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