The "U.S.S. World Trade Center" in Front of… Well, You Get the Drift

I’m in awe of the military industrial complex marketing geniuses on this one.

Think anybody is going to bat an eye about a new amphibious transport dock ship when you name it the U.S.S. New York, melt 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel into it, then preview it in the New York harbor in line with where the Trade Towers stood (in this case, also parking 9/11 victims family members in the foreground).

Like a giant Transformer playing on the massive ego blow to the city and to the United States — you get the subconscious hit that the ship, literally embodying the remains of the victims, could actually be the reincarnation of of one the towers, except now doing its thing horizontally, morphed into a man o’ war, and ready — for a mere $1.2 billion dollars — to kick the ass of the next 11 guys who dare try it again.

All too patriotically heavy-handed slide show here.

(photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images. November 2, 2009. New York City.)