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Cold war Quote by Garrett M. Graff

“After initial annoyance about the surprise drills, the Pentagon quickly saw value in the president’s interest. “It is the first time in years that they have a president who takes his role as Commander-in-Chief seriously,” a White House aide bragged. “They’re ecstatic.” Amid Vietnam, Watergate, and…” quote by Garrett M. Graff
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““After initial annoyance about the surprise drills, the Pentagon quickly saw value in the president’s interest. “It is the first time in years that they have a president who takes his role as Commander-in-Chief seriously,” a White House aide bragged. “They’re ecstatic.” Amid Vietnam, Watergate, and a relatively calm period of the Cold War in general, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford had shown little interest in the emergency procedures, which for the most part had continued to chug along far off the White House’s radar. Carter’s administration, on the other hand, ran the only full-scale activation of the Greenbrier congressional relocation facility—on cue, the Forsythe Associates team hauled hundreds of desks out of their warehouse on the resort grounds and—while the conference facilities were closed to the public—set up the exhibit hall as if Congress had successfully relocated there. Outside the small Forsythe Associates crew, none of the resort guests or staffers noticed. •””

Garrett M. Graff

About This Quote

Source Article: “Pentagon’s Greenbrier Drill” by Garrett M. Graff, 2015

The administration’s sudden focus on emergency drills revealed a shift from neglect to proactive security measures.

In simple terms: Government finally took emergency drills seriously.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize consistent emergency preparedness.

Themes

government security leadership policy history

Mood

analytical historical critical

Type

reflective critical informative

When to use this quote

  • military readiness
  • white house operations
  • public safety drills
  • policy reviews

Key Concepts

crisis management institutional inertia political will

Questions to Reflect On

  • What drives a government to finally act on ignored risks?
  • How can preparedness be sustained without crisis?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on drills may cause complacency in other areas.

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