Superpower that can't tie its shoes

August 11, 2007
Superpower that can't tie its shoes

In a 2005 report, the Federal Highway Administration rated 77,000 U.S. bridges, about an eighth of the total, as "structurally deficient." While we'll learn more about the specific causes of the collapse in coming weeks, it has been clear for a while that our aging national infrastructure network - bridges, roads, dams, levees - isn't standing up well to intensifying levels of stress.

But the bridge disaster also reflects a broader and more troubling problem. The United States seems to have become the superpower that can't tie its own shoelaces. America is a nation of vast ingenuity and technological capabilities. Its bridges shouldn't fall down.

And it's not just bridges. Has there ever been a period in our history when so many American plans and projects have, literally or figuratively, collapsed? In both grand and humble endeavors, the United States can no longer be relied upon to succeed or even muddle through. We can't remake the Middle East. We can't protect one of our own cities from a natural disaster or, it seems, rebuild after one. We can't rescue our citizens when they're on TV begging for help. We can't even give our wounded veterans decent medical care.