The Decapitation Strike

Somewhere, in the deep dark recesses of an overactive imagination, the idea that someone could conceivably eliminate the ability of the US government to function began to take form. It grew and took on new significance following the 9/11 attacks, which included a strike against the Pentagon, and potentially made the Capitol or White House a target.

What would have happened if the plane struck into the Capitol and killed 300 members of Congress? What would have happened if the plane overflew the Capitol and instead destroyed the Supreme Court, killing the entire bench, plus a dozen visiting federal court judges?

Would the government had been able to continue functioning?

The simple answer is no. At least not in the way that most Americans envision government operating.

And that's the big problem. A huge problem actually.

Back in the Cold War, there were groups of planners who thought up ways to deal with the situation, but it all boiled down to some form of martial law until resources and individuals were able to reform and reconstitute the government branches. That same mindset continues to operate throughout the government.

If Congress is unable to meet with a quorum, no business can be conducted. That means no appropriations, no declarations of war, no disaster relief. Nothing.

The business of restoring the government after such an attack would be paralyzed because there is no way to quickly and swiftly address the matter and that is a dangerous situation.

One must consider the possibilities, no matter how dark and ominous, so that government can continue functioning.

Whether it means giving the individual state governors the power to appoint the replacement members, or calling for a line of succession for the President that makes political and practical sense, the government continues to appear to be burying its collective head in the sand. And, that's not even getting into the issue of continuity of government at the state levels, which in some cases is even worse than at the federal level.

Practically no one wants to deal with the problem.

So, how do we deal with an issue that no one wants to address? For starters, talk with your members of Congress to demand that they work on a plan that provides for continuity of government under such scenarios, one that elevates certain members of the federal bench in an interim manner to the Supreme Court until formal confirmation hearings are conducted, and a line of succession for the President that makes sense.

One possible way of reconstiting Congress may involve requiring state legislatures and governors to put forward a slate of representatives from the same political party that lost members so that the political makeup of Congress is not altered by an attack. The same should apply for the line to succeed the President. Under the current system, the political party in the Presidency could change if a different political party is in the majority in Congress. I don't think anyone would want to see that happen, or contemplate terrorists who might exploit that scenario to impose fundamental changes of government as a result of an attack.

Yet, these questions remain unanswered. And thus, the decapitation strike remains a distinct, yet remote, possibility.