Carriers of statism

This nautical pundit has a good point... one that needs to be "carried" to its logical conclusion:

I think Congress should pass a law that says only certain types of ships can only be named after politicians, you know, like tugboats and ferry's (sic). Seriously though, people who have a naval ship named after them should at minimum have some significant impact to the Navy before having a ship named for them, and aircraft carriers should never be named after people again.

I'll go much farther than that: nothing created with so much as a dime of public funding should be named for anyone. Ever. The very idea of "Ronald Reagan National Airport" makes a mockery of the man elected in 1980 on the premise that "government isn't the solution, it's the problem." At least this was inflicted on his memory by those who want to claim his mantle. What excuse does Ted Stevens have? Or Robert Byrd? Why are these people allowed to convert billions of dollars' worth of public works into personal campaign props and monuments to their egos?

Aircraft carriers are a potent symbol of American power. Their names should convey the power of our ideas and transmit the legacy of our nation's heritage, not sail around as mausoleums to the dead.

We are supposed to be a nation of laws, not of men. Respect for good people who serve honorably is fine. But there are other ways to testify to that respect besides deifying them with taxpayer money, and feeding the fallen human tendency to give leaders the worship that should be reserved to God alone.