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America's Crumbling Infrastructure: An Issue of National Security?

On January 14, acclaimed Atlantic national correspondent James Fallows and CNP President Stephen Flynn participated in a forum entitled "America's Crumbling Infrastructure: An Issue of National Security?" Moderated by National Public Radio correspondent Tom Gjelten, the panelists spoke of the United States urgent need to invest in its infrastructure if it is to avoid the kind of calamity that befell earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The panelists emphasized that while the degradation of America's infrastructure has implications for economic and national security, it also offers opportunities. Investment in U.S. infrastructure would generate jobs, increase the nation's competitiveness in the world economy and improve quality of life. As the first industrialized nation to confront the challenge of refurbishing its infrastructure, the United States could also set an example and export its solutions worldwide. Fallows and Flynn agreed that the infrastructure problem was not beyond the nation's response capacity, and that with proper attention and resources the challenge could be met.