Decisive Action Needed
Reader comment on item: Are We Safer?

Submitted by JTillman (United States), Apr 30, 2002

We are a multicultural nation with no uniformity of opinion or universally agreed upon course of action. That diversity
can be considered a benefit in terms of innovation and achievement, but it represents a distinct disadvantage in policy making. Endless discourse, committees, and wrangling among groups with different points of view make anything resembling a consensus nearly impossible. While the President may take immediate action as we have in Afghanistan, the formation of long-term policy becomes a political issue.

While we are debating, our enemies are taking action. We have to rebuild a number of Government agencies, form a
uniform immigration policy, and most importantly, realize that we are going to step on many toes in the process.
We can't operate to protect our survival while we are worrying about protecting pork barrels or negotiating in the Congress about trading favors in order to go things moving.

Politics must take a back seat to the need for survival. We must have decisive action, not lip service, from our elected officials. We need to get rid of political hacks in critical positions and replace them with competent people.

Right now our diversity of opinion and constant in-fighting will result in a serious detriment to protecting ourselves.
Democracy is a wonderful system of government, but it's sluggish compared to a dictatorship. I'm more worried about having a country than I am about endless discussions about civil liberties.

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