National Security

Reality: No Balanced Budget For Long Time, And National Debt Will Continue To Rise!

Ronald Leave a comment

In the midst of all the debates about who is “better” for the country, the team of Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden, or the team of Republicans Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, something is being forgotten or ignored!

There will be no balanced budget for a long time, and the national debt will continue to rise!

There is no magic potion to bring about a balanced budget, or to prevent the national debt from rising!

So whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is elected, one will see both the budget issue and the national debt issue continue to be a center of heated debate!

The difference is who will “benefit” from what government does–the middle class and the poor, if Obama wins; or the wealthy top two percent if Romney wins!

But it is more than that!

It is also which man will cause the national defense budget and foreign interventions to grow, adding to our burden, and it is clear that Mitt Romney, with his loose, reckless rhetoric toward Iran, Russia and China, will cause us a lot more financial burden and many more lost American military lives than Barack Obama!

And it is also what direction do we want the nation to go regarding constitutional law! Do we want more Antonin Scalias, Clarence Thomases, and Samuel Alitos? Or do we want more Ruth Bader Ginsbergs, Stephen Breyers, Sonia Sotomayors, and Elena Kagans? This will determine more of the future, economically and socially, than anything else!

It is foreign policy and constitutional law, two areas most people are ignoring, that will have a greater impact on our future than the false argument that, somehow, one or the other candidate for President will, magically, balance the budget, or stop the rise in the national debt, when neither will be able to do anything about either of those matters!

Earth Day, The Environment, And Republicans From TR And Nixon To James Inhofe And Mitt Romney!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Republican Party under Theodore Roosevelt a century ago promoted conservation and growth of national parks.

The Republican Party under Richard Nixon promoted the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and expanded on the air and water pollution legislation of Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson.

The Republican Party under Ronald Reagan, despite his wish to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency, and having a terrible record on the environment, possibly the worst of modern times, actually came to realize the dangers of global warming, which became part of the national security agenda in 1985 and after.

The Republican Party under George H. W. Bush, and then Democrat Bill Clinton, continued to deal with the issue of global warming.

It seems clear that once Al Gore, an environmental champion before, during, and after serving as Vice President under Bill Clinton, lost the Presidential Election of 2000 in the Supreme Court, it became the clarion call of those who would deny global warming and climate change, to push against any such crusade, and to condemn environmentalists on principle, much of it based on fake science promoted by right wing Evangelical Christians, with their leading champion being Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, but certainly joined by others in the Republican Party in both houses of Congress.

So we have even Mitt Romney now straddling the fence, refusing to take a strong stand on the environment, global warming, and climate change, and about to give a commencement speech next month at the late Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Virginia, where denial of environmental crisis, and even of evolution, runs rampant.

Look how far the GOP has fallen from the time of TR and Nixon to the present–a true national tragedy playing itself out, and certain to have a negative impact on the future of this country and the planet!

National Security And Sexuality: Espionage And Blackmail Danger

Ronald 2 Comments

The scandal involving eleven Secret Service agents and five military personnel, engaged in drinking and prostitution in Colombia before the arrival of President Barack Obama at the Sixth Summit of the Americas meeting with other nations’ leaders, is extremely troubling in many ways.

It is not just the lack of ethics and high levels of immorality involved, but also it is not acceptable to say “boys will be boys” and excuse the misbehavior on that basis.

It is, more seriously, the issue of the dangers presented by these agents’ horrible judgment and reckless behavior.

The national security of the United States and the protection of the President were endangered by what occurred in Colombia.

Once an agent or military personnel engage in drinking and sexual behavior while working, the possibility of espionage and blackmail are opened up, and it means the area of immunity and safety is compromised, which could lead to some “pillow talk” leading to information being given that could compromise our nation’s safety and security, and even the possible “planting” of listening and video devices, and even biological, chemical, nuclear or other devices that could affect the health or life of the President, First Lady, children, Vice President, Presidential candidates, and other top officials of the government protected by the Secret Service!

Therefore, this situation is not be chuckled at, as it is reprehensible and dangerous, and such behavior must be fully investigated, and there must be a fail-safe system to prevent any such misbehavior and bad judgment such as this to occur ever again!

What it comes down to is that when people work in national security sensitive areas, particularly when involved with the highly responsible job of protecting the President even with their lives, such individuals MUST be informed that their behavior, on and off the job, is limited in special ways, as even off the job liaisons could lead to information being given that could compromise the national security and safety of our leaders, and reveal our national secrets.

Stock Market Revival Under Barack Obama: Wonderful, But Not Time To Declare Victory!

Ronald 2 Comments

Three years into the Obama Presidency, and the great news is that the stock market has seen a tremendous revival under his watch.

Yesterday, the stock market reached a level unseen since before the economic collapse of 2008 and the Great Recession, as the Dow Jones reached its highest level in four years, and the Nasdaq reached its highest level in eleven years.

With a 5,000 point gain since the Obama inauguration, there is a temptation to think that the economic decline is over, but that would be unwise to believe. There is still too much unemployment, and too many people who are underemployed, so it is not a time to declare victory in any shape or fashion. 8.3 percent unemployment is the lowest in three years, but not good enough to rest on one’s laurels.

However, if Obama can bring about or have the fortune that at least 150,000 jobs are created every month from now on, with last month bringing 250,000 growth in jobs, then the unemployment rate will go below 8 percent, and the odds of Obama winning a second term will be greatly enhanced.

The point is that Mitt Romney and other Republicans will have less of an issue to use against Obama if that growth occurs, and already, one can see that Romney is having problems being coherent in his reaction to the job and stock market gains.

The long range issues of foreign policy and defense and national security, and the significance of the federal courts and the Supreme Court, will, hopefully, start to come to the forefront, as in the long run, these are the more important issues for the future of the nation.

Robert Gates Challenges Republican Presidential Candidates Who Call Barack Obama Weak On Defense And National Security

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates tonight, in an interview on CNN, challenged Republican Presidential candidates who have asserted that Barack Obama is weak on defense and national security matters.

Gates, a Republican who served at the Pentagon under both George W. Bush and Obama, said that when you look at the record, Barack Obama has been very willing to use aggressive tactics against terrorists, referring to the death of Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders.

Gates also said that Mitt Romney’s charge that Obama promotes “Pretty Please’ tactics to adversaries has no basis, as there is nothing wrong with reaching out to enemies and hoping that one can reason with them, get them to do what we want, and utilize the military option only as a last resort. Without actually saying it, he was clear in believing that promoting confrontation is not the best tactic for a President to start off his administration, a slap at Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich, who all seem ready to declare war on Iran on Day One in the White House.

While not willing to take a stand on GOP Presidential candidates, Gates smiled and said he has voted in the past for Democratic Presidential candidates, without specifying whom, and that he would keep his vote this November to himself, refusing to say he would back the Republican nominee because of party loyalty.

Based on earlier assessments of Obama by Gates, one would not be surprised he voted for Obama, who it is clear he has very high regard for. Gates was a tremendous help to Obama in the first two plus years of his Presidency, and will go down in history as a truly decent, caring, patriotic Republican who was willing to help a Democratic President, rather than be petty, vindictive, obstructionist, all in the name of partisan politics, rather than doing what was right for the nation as a whole!

The Dangers Of The National Defense Authorization Act Signing By President Obama

Ronald Leave a comment

President Obama, on his way back from vacation in Hawaii, quietly signed the National Defense Authorization Act, bitterly opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil libertarians.

Without much fanfare, Obama signed the legislation on December 31, permitting the national government to have powers it has never had
before in peacetime. The 565 page bill includes provisions allowing for indefinite detention of people that the government suspects are involved in international terrorism. The legislation seems to allow arrests by the military in the US of American citizens, a very terrifying idea! President Obama issued a signing statement regarding this legislation, but that does not mean that a future President would not abuse the law and have American citizens arrested.

This is a violation of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, and one can hope for a Supreme Court decision declaring it unconstitutional, but that is probably not likely when it comes to powers involving war and security of the nation.

This can be seen as an extension of the Patriot Act, which many concerned people also think. is a violation of our civil liberties. The fact that members of both parties in Congress passed this legislation is also very troubling.

The danger that is most obvious is that a future President could use this new legislation in a way that President Obama has made clear his administration will NOT use it. The precedent has been set, and will be hard to reverse.

One could say that as long as a person stays within the law, does not break the law, is a citizen who does nothing illegal, that he or she does not have to be concerned. But even with that thought, there is still the possibility of innocent victims who become embroiled in the growing security network of the nation, and become victims.

So we have a new concern to be worried about regarding the BIll Of Rights!

Mitt Romney Calls Barack Obama An “Appeaser”! What Planet Is Romney On?

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has leveled a charge of “appeasement” upon President Barack Obama in the area of foreign policy!

What a preposterous accusation on the part of Romney! What planet is he on, to attack Obama in his STRONGEST area of policy, defense and foreign policy?

Obama not only has been able to gain the death of Osama Bin Laden, but also 22 other top operatives in Al Qaeda. He has been able to gain the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi without one American troop on the ground and no combat losses.

No one around the world in any nation believes that Barack Obama is a “pushover”!

To attack Obama on the economy, one can make some points, but on national security and defense, it is a lame attack with NO merit!

What Progressives Have To Be Thankful For On Thanksgiving Day 2011

Ronald 1 Comment

On this Thanksgiving Day, progressives have a lot to be thankful for, including:

1. We are witnessing the return home of our soldiers from Iraq after eight and a half years in combat, and the sad loss of about 4,500 brave men and women in a war that was unnecessary and helped to strengthen the more dangerous nation, Iran.

2. We have witnessed the development of the weakest Republican Presidential field in history, more an embarrassment than a legitimate field of candidates for the Oval Office, trying to outdo each other in their flubs and lack of concern for the average American.

3. We are fortunate to have as our President a man who, despite obvious shortcomings in some areas, has a record of accomplishment in national security and foreign policy that no Republican candidate can match.

4. We have a President who has gone the extra mile in trying to promote the interests of the middle class economically, instead of Wall Street, the corporations and the top two percent, all of which are obviously being supported by the Republican Party without any apologies. When the history of the Great Recession, the worst economic times since the Great Depression are written, the opposition party will NOT look good, any more than they did in the 1930s.

5. Finally, we can be thankful that by the Republican stubbornness on the budget and their greater loyalty to Grover Norquist than to the American people, the end result will be the automatic cutting of trillions of dollars by LACK OF ACTION by January 1, 2013, AND the END of the Bush Tax Cuts, and therefore a rise in taxation on those who have benefited for the past ten years on the backs of the American people. Tax rates will go back to the Clinton era rates, when we had the greatest economic conditions ever in our history, and fairness in taxation will return, while rational, reasonable budget cuts will also take place.

The Republican Party, by their obstructionism, will have slain themselves, so we must thank John Boehner and Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell for giving a campaign issue to the Democrats and Barack Obama.

This is a great moment for progressives, as Barack Obama has made clear that he will veto any attempt to keep the Bush tax cuts! Hallelujah, and now, let’s go and celebrate Thanksgiving!

New Foreign Policy Initiative: US Marines In Australia, A Challenge To China

Ronald Leave a comment

President Barack Obama, on his visit to Australia and Indonesia, has made a new initiative in foreign policy by arranging with Australia for the establishment of a US military presence, approximately 2,500 marines, starting in 2012, and being fully accomplished by 2016.

This is a veiled warning to China on security interests of both Australia and the United States, and an indication that the US is facing the reality that the major center of world affairs in the 21st century will not be the Middle East, as important as that is, but rather East Asia, with the growing influence of China, along with the significance of Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, plus the South Asian nations of India and Pakistan.

The population of the nations mentioned above are a majority of the world’s people.

This is, therefore, a path breaking event, another indication of how Barack Obama is changing the course of American foreign policy and national security for the long run, beyond his time in the Presidency!

Jon Huntsman’s Major Opportunity: Saturday Night’s South Carolina Foreign Policy And National Security Debate

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is reaching his major opportunity in Saturday night’s Presidential debate in South Carolina, as the topic is limited to foreign policy and national security.

As stated many times in the past, Jon Huntsman is EASILY the most qualified of all the GOP candidates for President, when it comes to expertise and knowledge and depth in foreign policy and national security issues.

As Ambassador to Singapore and Ambassador to China, and as a trade negotiator, Jon Huntsman has superb experience in foreign policy, and particularly where it most matters, in Asia, which will be the center of world affairs in the 21st century, particularly regarding China, the nation with one fourth of the world’s population.

No one else can come close to matching Huntsman, who also can speak Mandarin Chinese.

Few people who have ever run for President have the credentials of Jon Huntsman in foreign policy, so this is his opportunity to separate himself from the pack and start to gain in the polls.

if he does not do well tonight, and/or improve his standing in polls in the next couple of weeks, after being at one or two percent all along, then, sadly, Huntsman is finished as a major factor in Republican politics!