Ex-CIA director, defense secretary Gates: US is paralyzed [View all]
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Former CIA director and defense secretary Robert Gates said Monday that the U.S. government is paralyzed by political polarization and careerism, which has allowed China, Russia and other rivals to make inroads internationally to America's detriment.
Gates, who served in both Republican and Democratic administrations, said in an online speech to a Florida group that partisanship has always been part of U.S. politics dating back to founders John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, but only recently has that resulted in the government being unable to tackle major issues such as the coronavirus outbreak. He said congressional members fear taking any stand or making any compromise that could harm their re-election chances.
“Because of our paralysis in Washington, we can't tackle successfully any of the big challenges the country faces, whether it's education, immigration, infrastructure,” Gates told the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, a nonpartisan organization that meets monthly to hear from prominent newsmakers. “They are just too hard for our politicians across the board. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue.”
Gates, 76 and a Republican, served as CIA director from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush and defense secretary from 2006 to 2011 under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. His book, “Exercise Of Power: American Failures, Successes, And A New Path Forward In The New Post-Cold War World,” was recently published.
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