For the most part, I have always been an optimist, generally seeing opportunity in difficult situations. But, I must admit that when it comes to homeland security, I tend to be somewhat pessimistic. When I do think about it, I invariably ask myself,
§ Are we secure?
§ Has our government done enough to make the American homeland safe?
§ Are we doing enough ourselves, as individuals?
§ Is it even possible to make us secure?
Starting with the fact that we are relatively new at this game, having begun to focus intently on the problem only since 9/11, my sense is that it’s a bit early to know just how secure we can be. But, one thing for sure, in my judgment, at this point we are definitely not secure.
Do you feel that we are? Does anyone you know really feel the nation is safe from another attack? I don’t know anyone who does when you put the question to them.
Do you ever think about the problem, even for a few minutes? Or, do you generally tune it out from day to day, working at your job or business, enjoying family life, planning for the future – just plain living?
The Administration and many Republicans have been taking credit for the fact that we have not suffered another major terrorist attack since 9/11, which makes me wonder what the reaction of the American people will be when it finally happens. And, it is going to happen!
Chances are, the reaction will be to “throw the bums out.” Unfortunately, that won’t make much difference – because we will only get another bunch just like them in office.
Every time I hear the head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, talk about what the government has done or is doing to protect America, I wonder how anyone can actually believe we are adequately protected when we are so plagued by political correctness that it prevents us from even doing something as basic as profiling airline passengers. Over five years after 9/11 we are still not inspecting most of the cargo on airplanes and at our ports, or adequately protecting our water and food supplies, power plants, etc. And, what about the potential of suicide bombers attacking our public places, such as major shopping malls? If anything would disrupt our way of life, that certainly would.
Our leaders responded to 9/11 by creating the largest bureaucracy in American history, the Department of Homeland Security, with a $46.8 billion budget and upwards of 200,000 employees.
Just looking at the organization chart is enough to boggle the mind: There are 22 departments organized in five levels of bureaucracy. The major agencies are Transportation Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard.
They all report to the Secretary of Homeland Security, along with 18 other assorted “Secretaries,” Officers, Directors and the like. There is also a Homeland Security Advisory Council, which provides “advice and makes recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security,”
To my eye, it looks like an organizational nightmare, with a span of control that exceeds the ability of any single individual to manage. Just looking at it raises questions. And, as usual, Congress has a hand in managing everything, adding to the complexity and confusion that surrounds the agency’s activities.
In my opinion we are a long way from being secure. I also believe we can never be completely safe. How on earth is it possible for us to protect ourselves from every conceivable attempt to attack us, ranging from nuclear to poisoning our food and water, to attacking our transportation systems (air, shipping, railroads, trucking), power grids, major installations and Lord knows what else?
One thing for sure, without adequate border security there can be no homeland security. Listening to the endless arguments about securing our borders, especially with Mexico, it is obvious that we are wide open to being infiltrated by our enemies.
Apart from 9/11, the breathtaking scope of the Katrina disaster underscored the fact that the most important function of government is to protect its citizens.
So, what are we getting for our $46.8 billion Homeland Security budget, especially at the local level?
For the most part, it’s a top down system, with the agencies that comprise the Department of Homeland Security applying their funding to a wide variety of programs, including emergency preparedness activities at the state and county levels. But, in spite of this, are we really prepared for major emergencies, such as fires, torrential rains, accidents involving hazardous materials, earthquakes or other natural disasters - and the unthinkable, a terrorist attack or perhaps the overflow consequences of one in a major metropolitan area?
When there is a fire, earthquake, tornado, flood, who’s available to help? We tend to rely on local Fire, Police or Sheriff’s departments, public utilities, agencies like the Red Cross, or the National Guard. But, what if no one can get to you for two or three days, or a week? What can you do? Are you adequately prepared to tough it out on your own? New Orleans vividly demonstrated that most people are not.
In a major crisis, the reality is that you will probably have to fend for yourself until help arrives, conceivably days, a week, or longer. There are simply not enough police, firefighters and emergency personnel to respond to every situation.
Think about how unprepared you probably are for an emergency. Everything from fire extinguishers to first aid kits and CPR training to an adequate supply of food and water to a pre-determined survival plan and escape route for your family, to just plain knowing what to do to protect your home and loved ones and to help your neighbors.
Thomas Sowell made the following observations in an article about New Orleans and Katrina:
When all is said and done, government is ultimately just human beings -- politicians, judges, bureaucrats. Maybe the reason we are so often disappointed with them is that they have over-promised and we have been gullible enough to believe them.
Government cannot solve all our problems, even in normal times, much less during a catastrophe of nature that reminds man how little he is, despite all his big talk.
The most basic function of government, maintaining law and order, breaks down when floods or blackouts paralyze the system.
During good times or bad, the police cannot police everybody. They can at best control a small segment of society. The vast majority of people have to control themselves.
If we don’t know what to do in a major emergency, and we expect our local police and firefighters to be the “first responders,” and they are not available, who will be accountable: the Federal Department of Homeland Security, the state government, your city council or county board of supervisors? As we have already seen with Katrina in New Orleans, there will be plenty of blame to go around.
In the final analysis, self-help is inescapable. Think about it. Are you prepared? Do you know what to do if outside help cannot get to you when the next major emergency strikes, which will surely happen
There’s another major emergency in your future, and the likelihood that the government, local, state or Federal, will be able prevent it or provide 100% protection is slim to none. We all need to be prepared to take care of ourselves and to help our neighbors until the situation stabilizes.
(c) 2007 Harris R. Sherline, All Rights Reserved
