By American Bar Association
America is unprepared for the national security challenges from the growing realignment between China, North Korea, Iran and Russia, says Jane Harman, chair of the Commission on National Defense Strategy.
Harman, who leads Capitol Hill’s independent body that assesses the nation’s defense plans, gave the keynote address Nov. 15 at the 34th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law conference in Washington D.C., sponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security.
Her speech, “Forging a Broader National Defense Strategy,” was based on the commission’s latest report issued in late July.
Harman said “we’re not ready” if there is an organized attack by bad actors in the world, further noting that more funds need to go to educating the American public about what to do in the event of a conflict.
The commission found that the U.S. public is not aware of the costs associated with preparing for an unforeseen conflict.
According to the report, beyond governmental agencies, the U.S. public does not “appreciate the strength of China and its partnerships or the ramifications to daily life if a conflict were to erupt.”
The report notes the public doesn’t anticipate “disruptions to their power, water or access to all the goods on which they rely. They have not internalized the costs of the United States losing its position as a world superpower.”
Harman said a new approach would require bipartisan support, involving both the public and private sectors and coordination between government bodies.
This coordination of efforts would make “a huge difference,” Harman said. “Who’s at risk? It’s not just the Republican party or the Democratic party. It’s all of us.
“The terrorists are not going to check our party registration before they blow us up. So, let’s get back or go forward to some of the old habits we used to have where we acted in a bipartisan way to pass important legislation for the country.”
America is unprepared for the national security challenges from the growing realignment between China, North Korea, Iran and Russia, says Jane Harman, chair of the Commission on National Defense Strategy.
Harman, who leads Capitol Hill’s independent body that assesses the nation’s defense plans, gave the keynote address Nov. 15 at the 34th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law conference in Washington D.C., sponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security.
Her speech, “Forging a Broader National Defense Strategy,” was based on the commission’s latest report issued in late July.
Harman said “we’re not ready” if there is an organized attack by bad actors in the world, further noting that more funds need to go to educating the American public about what to do in the event of a conflict.
The commission found that the U.S. public is not aware of the costs associated with preparing for an unforeseen conflict.
According to the report, beyond governmental agencies, the U.S. public does not “appreciate the strength of China and its partnerships or the ramifications to daily life if a conflict were to erupt.”
The report notes the public doesn’t anticipate “disruptions to their power, water or access to all the goods on which they rely. They have not internalized the costs of the United States losing its position as a world superpower.”
Harman said a new approach would require bipartisan support, involving both the public and private sectors and coordination between government bodies.
This coordination of efforts would make “a huge difference,” Harman said. “Who’s at risk? It’s not just the Republican party or the Democratic party. It’s all of us.
“The terrorists are not going to check our party registration before they blow us up. So, let’s get back or go forward to some of the old habits we used to have where we acted in a bipartisan way to pass important legislation for the country.”
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