Instead of security, it’s more homeland insecurity

Homeland security was much in the news last week, with announcements that al-Qaida is planning something big in the United States in the next few months. Such warnings cause us, at the very least, to pause and wonder about the true state of homeland security. The Bush administration says it is good and points to the fact that there have been no attacks on the United States since 9/11.

On the other hand, like much else about this administration, there seems often to be a serious disconnect between rhetoric and performance. While the White House boasts of its anti-terrorist prowess, budget-cutting seems to be the order of the day. To make up for at least some of the enormous tax cuts given to wealthy individuals and corporations, the administration is cutting budgets across the board — and that includes homeland security. The euphemism du jour is “efficiency.” Increasing efficiency is the reason the number of airport screeners has been cut by 9 percent from the 2003 level, even as air travel rapidly soars toward pre-9/11 levels.