Bridges to Glory

Recently there was a conference in the United State’s centre for national policy where repercussions of the crumbling United States public infrastructure were discussed. The present condition of the infrastructure in the United States is not what it used to be in the not so distant past. If the infrastructure is not in good condition it can lead to not only socio-economic as well as security problems. Though many might not be ready to believe, but the Northeast Blackout of 2003; the breached levees of New Orleans in 2005; and the Minneapolis I-35W bridge collapse of 2007 are testimony to this fact.  

Homeland Security experts are concerned that the present bad state of the public infrastructure can lead to security issues. Americans though seem to be reluctant to spend on the upkeep let alone improving the infrastructure. Growing economies like China and India are heavily investing in infrastructure. In India plans have been made to spend over a trillion rupees on infrastructure as a part of the 12^thfive year plan. Similarly China too has spent heavily in upgrading its infrastructure. The United States is the place where everyone in the world wants to be. Dr Stephen Flynn the newly appointed president of the Centre for National Policy compared the United States to a grandchild who has inherited a beautiful and luxurious mansion, but does not maintain it well. The house is beautiful but the plumbing and the wiring needs to be changed. The Centre for National Policy is a security think tank and its officials are anxious about the United State’s ability to maintain old and develop new infrastructure.

The recent disaster in Haiti exposed the countries ageing infrastructure. Although the conditions in United States and Haiti are poles apart, a few years from now the infrastructure in the United States will also start becoming obsolete. In a face of a disaster the people might become helpless and the government would be unable to limit and mitigate the effects of the calamity. But the present trend is worrying with corruption, lack of motivation both in masses and the government are acting as hurdles. Americans want to divert their limited resources to other sectors. When Eisenhower was president he sanctioned a project for building big interstate highways saying the country needs them for its defence. He called them The National Defence highway system. Now, the United States need to think and act in a similar manner. The dividends of infrastructure are rich not just socioeconomically, but from a security perspective.