Question

6. What is the main thesis of Verret’s essay? What is he trying to argue and what evidence does he provide? Is his argument effective?

Answer 1

Answer:

A) The main thesis of Verret's Essay is a solicitation for the extension of Sea Ports for the United States of America.

B) His argument is based on the following facts:

i. that seaports are a major entry point of illicit and potentially harmful weapons that can cause destruction on a large scale

ii. that extending the seaports farther away from the coast of the USA will allow for damages or destruction to lives and property (should they arise at all) be minimized or eliminated altogether.

C) He goes on to indicate the role of the security and port management agencies and how they could contribute to ensuring the process works. He speaks of using X-Ray technologies to enhance the speed and effectiveness of the search process.

D) He also tries to justify the huge cost this might attract. One of his suggestion on how this can be managed is to ensure that countries exporting to the USA also pay a certain charge to this effect. In my opinion, though this is practicable on paper, ideally, it may pose a tough one. There are already costs associated with exporting to US. With over 30 trading partners and other countries who compete with the US in international trade, the proposal to transfer costs for projects that benefits the US primarily might prove a tough one.

Besides point D above, Verret's argument is plausible.