Our pervasive paranoia must be welcomed by our great power competitors

ARTICLE: "House measure threatens Thales satellite work," By Douglas Barrie and Amy Butler, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, 06/02/2008, page 12

Here's my fear: America's national security establishment is so imprinted by our Cold War experience regarding secrecy and classified info and export restrictions, that we're going to bureaucratize ourselves into an uncompetitive situation over the long term--if we haven't already.

Our pervasive paranoia must be welcomed by our great power competitors: it effectively sidelines us in many situations and markets to their advantage.

Thank God most of the federal workforce is aging out. We need to unshackle ourselves. The longer we remain trapped in this mindset, the less secure we really become and the more we lose economically.

Comments

[William R. Cumming.]

Commenting as a veteran of course. But the employment of vets in some departments and agencies making those organizations second career choices has direct impacts on those Executive Branch components and those impacts are not always favorable. While I can see giving a short-term or disabled vet a competitive advantage in appointment, a career military retiree when bundled in large numbers not only contributes to the aging of the federal workforce but may not be the best way to stimulate non-DOD thinking in approaching civil issues. Sometimes it works but often becomes just a sinecure for those who should be completely retired. Interestingly, the higher the rank during active duty usually the less likely the contribution. Too often set in ways of thinking. Oddly, perhaps just the combat arms should be given veterans preferance because my experience is that combat vets (10 pt. preference if wounded) often prove the best contributors to the civil agencies.

[Frank Hecker]

This dynamic has already played out with respect to cryptography. Years of US export control on encryption software spurred major investments in cryptographic research and development elsewhere in the world (Europe, Israel, Canada, Japan, etc.). Finally the US government threw in the towel and significantly liberalized the export regime, but the underlying controls are still in place, and still constitute a regulatory barrier to any US-based company working in this field.

[Michael]

Plus, William, the uniqueness of many combat-arms skills also makes it harder for them to find work in the outside world (other than mercenary work, of course).

[Tom Barnett]

Frank,

That's a depressing confirmation.

I honestly believe we'll get forced to make changes, but too late so as to avoid losing out.