[Jack]

WASHINGTON — A pipeline shuts down in Alaska. Equipment failures disrupt air travel in Los Angeles. Electricity runs short at a spy agency in Maryland.

None of these recent events resulted from a natural disaster or terrorist attack, but they may as well have, some homeland security experts say. They worry that too little attention is paid to how fast the country's basic operating systems are deteriorating.

"When I see events like these, I become concerned that we've lost focus on the core operational functionality of the nation's infrastructure and are becoming a fragile nation, which is just as bad — if not worse — as being an insecure nation," said Christian Beckner, a Washington analyst who runs the respected Web site Homeland Security Watch (www.christianbeckner.com).

More at: This Link


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But we'll do fine with expensive energy. We'll easily transition to biofuels and other such "solutions". Right. Sure we will. You betcha.

[Atlantean_Relic]

U.S.A. The Bulletproof bucket with holes.

[Waterthrush]

The money that could have gone to infrastructure maintenance - thrown on the ground in Iraq. Already well over 500,000 billion dollars and, will top a trillion. George W. Bush is going to be synonymous with this horrible situation. We will be crippled into the foreseeable future as well.

[peaker_2005]

The experts are worried about the US?

The whole WORLD is tearing itself apart!

I assure you, the so called "mighty and brave" US will fall far more rapidly than Rome did.

[Zardoz]

Iraq is just making the issue more visible. Money that should go to infrastructure is being poured down the defense rathole instead. We're going to end up a military dictatorship, and we'll suffer the fate that befalls all such entities.

[evilgenius]

All of this and it still isn't okay to talk about society (us) protecting itself from 'dangerous selfishness'. In decades past conservatism had a regulatory place in society. It prevented adventurism and sought consensus before the nation moved ahead. Today conservatism in the US is a robber baron. Today it encourages adventurism and moves without consulting the people. The conservatives have become too parental rather than elitest, as they should be. Is this because of the influence of the religious right on the Republican Party?

And talk about liberals. Where are all of the great ideas that liberals at street level talk about all the time but can't penetrate the entrenched leadership of the Democratic Party in order to be discussed in the public sphere? Sure somebody like John Kerry might mention solar power but he won't stand on it like it mattered very much. The liberals, still the majority, in America are brimming with ideas like high-speed rail and new city design, but the liberal leadership is failing to listen other than to know enough to say a few of the right words. Where is the action?

[Denny]

It was interesting to see Bill Maher on on Larry King last night. He echoed a lot of these sentiments, comparing the coutnry to a muscle bound school bully, who cannot think ahead of how to avoid fights but just plunders on using his might to instill fear. That consumes all his energy.

He stated that he sees the ocuntry has just floundered for the past number of years on progress in anything. No improved health care, no alternative energy, no diplomacy. Slipping in tehnology too. He almost seemed depressed about the United States.

He is so anti-religious, he blames the religious right for this, as if they would rather fight than think.

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('evilgenius', 'A')ll of this and it still isn't okay to talk about society (us) protecting itself from 'dangerous selfishness'. In decades past conservatism had a regulatory place in society. It prevented adventurism and sought consensus before the nation moved ahead. Today conservatism in the US is a robber baron. Today it encourages adventurism and moves without consulting the people. The conservatives have become too parental rather than elitest, as they should be. Is this because of the influence of the religious right on the Republican Party?

And talk about liberals. Where are all of the great ideas that liberals at street level talk about all the time but can't penetrate the entrenched leadership of the Democratic Party in order to be discussed in the public sphere? Sure somebody like John Kerry might mention solar power but he won't stand on it like it mattered very much. The liberals, still the majority, in America are brimming with ideas like high-speed rail and new city design, but the liberal leadership is failing to listen other than to know enough to say a few of the right words. Where is the action?

[128shot]

I think blaming it all on corporations is a copt out. They control less (but still a fair amount) of the politics in this country than everyone likes to think.


Seems like a copt out so you don't have to preform your civil duties...