If credibility were such a fragile commodity, we wouldn't have needed the Reagan buildup after the Russians blinked during the Cuban Missile Crisis, or in 1973 when they made noises about helping the Arabs in the Yom Kippur war and then backed down.
In 1973, the Russians made noises about helping Arabs in the Yom Kippur war.
Many of these organizations found themselves in an environment similar to the one confronting federal managers today-one in which they were called upon to improve performance while simultaneously reducing costs.