The Horse is Out of The Barn

The horse has left the barn. This recent cyberattack proves key parts of our infrastructure are exposed and vulnerable. We must put in place measures to protect our sophisticated, technology-dependent infrastructure against threats from cyber-criminals, domestic and international terrorists’ organizations, rouge nation states and geo-political enemies, namely, China, Russia, N. Korea, Iran... Failure to do so, will result in catastrophic consequences throughout the United States. Failure to protect ourselves, our nation, and our infrastructure directly, is not an option. A government commissioned EMP Task Force has on three occasions reported to Congress that in the event of an Electro Magnetic Pulse attack, 90% of the American population would be dead within a year. Another study and subsequent report conducted by the U.S. Air and Space Force's center for professional military education and the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education warns that an electromagnetic pulse weapon attack could wipe out America, ‘democracy, and world order.’ The report, titled, “Electromagnetic Defense Task Force,” and the product of a summit of officials from 40 agencies, should serve as a forceful call for a new focus on preparing for either an enemy EMP attack or a natural hit such as a solar storm. While the EMP Defense Task Force is focused on the devastating impact an EMP strike would have on the military, it appears to support the congressional EMP warning that dark days for America are only a matter of when, not if. And we are not talking about long lines at the gas pumps. The Biden-Harris Administration’s current infrastructure proposal allocates $100 billion to upgrading the grid, with another $35 billion to develop climate solutions, $46 billion in federal buying power to accelerate clean energy efforts, R&D to eliminate racial and gender gaps in science, technology, engineering and math fields through investments in historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. Lest I forget to mention, another $600 billion and counting for social style infrastructure programs, like upgrades to affordable housing, Green Housing, $400 billion for home-based care for elderly and disabled, $35 billion for climate change-related R&D, $50 billion for "research infrastructure" at the National Science Foundation, $50 billion for new Commerce Department office "dedicated to monitoring domestic industrial capacity," $213 billion for home sustainability and public housing... There will be little want for social programs, building dedications, investments in historically minority serving institutions ... in the likely event that our electric grids are compromised. That is not to say social programs are not magnanimous gestures, but we don't have the luxury of engaging in noble acts when the United States could be easily destroyed by bad actors seeking to incapacitate our Republic. Do I have your attention? Now is the time to shut the gate.