America to be destroyed not by bin Laden, but by bureaucracy

July 16, US President George Bush published the first in the history of the United States strategy of internal security. He demanded from the government and businessmen activities aimed for prevention of “new wave of terrorism” in the United States, in the open society which renders almost endless number of potential targets.

The Bush plan foresees increasing protection from “catastrophe dangers,” i.e. nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical weapon, cyberterrorism, and some other, less exotic kinds of weapon.

According to Bush, nation should recognize how serious the danger of international terrorism is and consolidate, forgetting about discords in US society, which make US citizens vulnerable for such persons like bin Laden.

Terrorist acts on US territory are inevitable – that is today’s reality, and the President calls to submitting to it. US special services cannot fully neutralize the threat (this was confirmed by the September 11 events), the President formulas characterizing the present and the future of US defence sound rhetorically: minimalizing possible damage, fast recovering from an attack, if it takes place.

All these tasks will be realized by some Internal Security Office which should be created by the Congress. As for financial aspect, the fight on terrorism will be really expensive.

Total outputs of the US for guaranteeing national security make $ 100 billion. In 2003, a sum of 38 billion more is planned to be apportioned. According to Washington Profile, these outputs will be the first payment. After the terrorist acts of September 11, the US has spent 6 billion dollars for its security.

US city administrations spent for these aims 2.6 billion dollars, while US businessmen probably invested for their security about 55 billion dollars within one year. After September 11, these investments increased by 50-100 percent.

Though, what is really dangerous, that is increasing of the number of bureaucrats in the United States, which causes the growth of state outputs for maintaining them. The new institution – Transport Security Administration - plans to recruit more than 65 thousand employees. The budget of the new structure makes 2 billion a year. So, tax-payer should tighten their belts.

Yegor Belous PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/07/19/44436.html