James Carafano
James Carafano
James Jay Carafanois the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and the deputy director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He is a historian and a recognized expert on national security affairs. Carafano has authored a number of books, including Private Sector/Public Wars: Contracting in Combat-Iraq, Afghanistan and Future Conflicts, and he has appeared before congress as a national security expert. He is an adjunct...
authority create federal government job local mean national power resources response state system
Only the federal government can mobilize a national response to catastrophic disasters. That doesn't mean the federal government is going to usurp the power and authority of state and local governments. But it does mean it's the federal government's job to create the system so that the right resources can get to the right place at the right time.
absolutely basically money people spend throwing
When we started out doing this, basically what we were doing was throwing money at the problem. In most cases, people had absolutely no idea how to spend the money.
figure goes history
We have a history of occupations that goes back to the American Revolution, and we always do it the same way: We always just figure it out when we get there.
dry electricity exist
Where do you stage? Where do you go? You have to have communications, you have to have electricity, you have to have dry ground. These are all things that have to exist, and these are all things that don't exist in New Orleans.
behind defense england exactly gordon iraq left policies secretary
The president's behind him. If he left tomorrow, (deputy defense secretary) Gordon England would be secretary of defense, and defense policies and what we do in Iraq would look exactly the same.
job national test
In many ways, this is a test of our national capacity, ... If we can't do this 24-7-365, we aren't doing our job for preparedness.
money red
Even more than money and the availability of money, what really slows down the reconstruction is decision-making bureaucracy and red tape,
address hard pushed winds
At the end of the day, the F-22 just winds up being more expensive. It just pushed all the hard things to the out years, and it really didn't address that.
acting house senate
I can't see the House acting in any way on the Senate, and I can't see the Senate acting in any way on the House.
comet equivalent fixated full hitting sneakers thoughtful
This is the equivalent of a comet hitting the planet. Of all the things that are in the world, why are we fixated on this one thing. Scanning containers full of sneakers for a 'nuke in the box' is not a really thoughtful thing.
fema job less prepared state
Some states, such as Florida, are much better prepared than others. It's kind of a no-win for FEMA. The better job a state does, the less FEMA has to do.
congress craft enormous formulate guide million minimize optional people pressure role tough
You can't make a million people happy. There's going to be a lot of debates. I don't think you can minimize the role Congress is going to play in what kind of legislation they formulate to guide the reconstruction. There will be enormous pressure to do something quickly. It's all new virgin territory, and it'll be tough to craft an optional strategy.
came everybody
Everybody can say everything came out of the QDR. You have the right to be skeptical.
adult both lack leadership
There's a lack of adult leadership on both sides.