Doing nothing can be a very successful strategy in tiding over difficult situations. Seasoned administrators have often perfected the art of inaction. Sometimes doing nothing can be costly. Fires must be put out and the critically ill rushed to medical care. Even while pondering on the situations in which inaction seemed to be strategically advantageous, my attention was drawn to an editorial in
Science. The author, Kathy Caldwell, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) titled her column ‘The Cost of Doing Nothing’ (Science, 2011, 334, 289). She wrote her piece on the eve of an annual gathering of civil engineers, drawing attention to the critical importance of recognizing ‘that rebuilding and modernizing infrastructure will be a key driver of economic growth’ in the United States, even as the economic crisis continues, largely unabated. (Editorial)