A very special man passed away today. An unlikely hero to many and a vagabond to most, Charlie Wilson almost singlehandedly defeated the Russians in Afghanistan by supplying the Mujahedeen with Stinger missiles through a complicated web of American bureaucracy, foreign governments, and unique characters that only someone as seasoned in scandal as Congressman Wilson could navigate. For those who have only seen the movie, I must implore you to read the book as the movie simply could not divulge all the details of his extra-ordinary life which makes Lindsey Lohan look like a girl scout.
Reflecting on his legacy, many will argue whether his actions helped bring down the Berlin Wall or planted the seeds for the 9/11 attacks. Perhaps I have a soft spot for Texas congressmen but I have to admit that I admire not so much what he did but how he did it. I often find him as a source of inspiration when dealing with the army of lethargic bureaucrats and entangling red tape. What worries me is that the size and inefficiency of our Federal govt requires people like Charlie Wilson to get things done. Normally when inefficiencies are identified, the defacto decision by those who created the inefficiencies to begin with, is to create additional layers of bureaucracy. Despite DHS and ODNI, we simply got lucky the Christmas bomber did not succeed.
To make our nation safer, we need a smaller more effective govt. Our excessive military footprint in over 130 countries makes us a larger target and is burning cash faster than we can print it. Also, the govt is riddled with poor technology managers who have wasted billions of dollars on projects that are never held accountable. Paying fewer govt employees with higher salaries would attract better talent who understand the difference between duplication of effort and internal competition. It is a mathematical fact that increasing the number of people in an organization exponentially increases the contact points and requires much more overhead (usually in the form of TPS reports). A job with national security should be a privilege not a place to park your career until you retire. Unfortunately the simple answer to problems is requesting more money and throwing more chefs in the kitchen. We need higher standards for recruiting govt employees in tandem to offering better wages and benefits to not only compete but exceed industry standards. Our safety is too important to always find the lowest bidder.
Anyway, Good Time Charlie will be missed in more ways than one. Rest in Peace.
