After reading this article, it becomes obvious that the disruption of the global supply chain is an issue, but the significance of that issue is ambiguous due to bizarre authorial choices. Countries are experiencing deficits in food and household goods because of port delays and the national labor shortage. However, the author’s choice to focus on the timely delivery of iPhones, cars, and Nike sneakers makes the issue feel somewhat trivial in the middle of a global pandemic. It is unclear if this is significantly impacting the lives of average Americans by causing food and medicine deprivation, or it is simply a case of having to wait an extra two days for Amazon to ship consumer luxury items. It is personally hard for me to care about the shipping crisis if it is the latter.
Furthermore, while there are some noteworthy statistical comparisons of port wait times and foot traffic pre- and post-pandemic, there is no coherent explanation for why these supply disruptions are happening. At the beginning of the article, Moody Analytics cites the national labor shortage, but later a managing director says that the issue is “non-linear” and does not lie in recruiting new employees or extending hours (Kay). Another director insists that everyone needs to get “on the same page”, but it is unclear why or how these organizations are not on the same page (Kay). Without a thorough explanation of the problem or its origins, it is hard to assess its significance and further plan of action. Suppose the national labor shortage is disrupting the shipment of iPhones and Nikes as this article seems to suggest. In that case, I find it very hard to care about this crisis until we resolve Covid and unemployment. In general, this article cites alarming statistics to shock but gives us no compelling reason to care.
Works Cited
Kay, Grace. “Moody’s Warns of ‘Dark Clouds Ahead’ for the Global Supply Chain as 77% of the World’s Largest Ports Face Backlogs.” Business Insider, Web.