WASHINGTON -- There is nothing as permanent in Washington as a federal agency. Once created, government bureaucracies are almost impossible to kill, no matter how outdated. Consider the desperate attempt of the Selective Service System and its allies to reverse the House Appropriation Committee's decision to terminate the agency.
Two decades ago, President Jimmy Carter, shocked that the Soviet leaders would lie to him and invade Afghanistan, decided to reinstate registration of 18-year-old men. Afghan guerrillas armed with Stinger missiles, not Carter's list, finally ousted the Soviet invaders.
Candidate Ronald Reagan promised to eliminate registration, but after the Soviets pressured the Polish government to crack down on the Solidarity labor union President Reagan decided to preserve the program. Neither the Poles nor the Russians took much notice; internal failure eventually caused both communist regimes to collapse.