THE AMERICAN CRISIS: TURNING FULL CIRCLE

In December 1776, Thomas Paine released The American Crisis, the first of a series of pamphlets outlining the dire straits the American independence movement was in. Paine wrote in the first paragraph, “These are times that try men’s souls” American independence was jeopardized by the poor morale and state of the Continental Army, a lack of food, supplies and ordinance, disease and the waning spirit of a significant portion of American leadership. Britain felt confident at this time that they could crush the rebellion with a single blow that could be delivered at a time of General Howe’s choosing. As one of the coldest winters on record set in, Howe was in no hurry to route the “ragamuffin mob” of an army that was no doubt suffering from the travails of the immoderate weather and would wait until spring to begin their final offensive. Hunkering down in winter quarters was the custom for European militaries for centuries. General Howe, British Commander in Chief was certain that that his American counterpart (General Washington) was doing the same. In other words, conventional military wisdom would rule the day.

Paine knew Washington’s dilemma. He hurriedly produced The American Crisis with the hopes of bolstering the American soldier’s morale in order to keep the cause alive. Also in the first paragraph he states, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered….What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value” Paine was aware that he was talking to men who had seen a great deal of death and hardship: men who had lived their lives by preparing for the worst. This struggle would be monumental and would require tremendous fortitude and perseverance in order to prevail. No doubt these Americans were physically up to the challenge. Yet despite this, both he and Washington knew that having that experience and durability might not be enough to keep the movement together.

The American people needed to know the consequences of failure and where the power of any American government truly lies. In no uncertain terms Paine’s inspiring words in that first paragraph provide the answer: “Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.”

Paine explains that the price of failure would be slavery and that the British government and its king by imposing unrepresented and unlimited taxation had already assumed the powers of the Almighty in levying arbitrary judgment upon its colonies. Paine suggests, as did other thinkers sympathetic to the cause, that the rights of man are bestowed by God and it is the American citizens who lend the power of governance to its representatives in order to secure and safeguard these blessings so that no man may take them away. The contract between God and man and that between citizens and their representatives are sacred trusts that must be upheld on all sides. Since God is perfect, there is no debate on that end. However when the sacred trust between the citizens and those who govern them is fractured, it is the right and might I say duty of the citizenry to shed those chains of bondage and construct a new covenant that reestablishes liberty and freedom from tyranny.

General Washington constantly interacted with his troops during that difficult time as Paine’s words were read to the troops bivouacked in their winter quarters. Many of them wanted to go home yet many stayed despite the adversity because they realized the price of failure. As Washington pondered his next move which could also be his last, he realized that emerging victorious was not negotiable. While dining with Dr. Benjamin Rush, he kept notating on dozens of small bits of paper, “Victory or Death” His decision to attack the Hessians who were garrisoned at Trenton on Christmas Eve could determine America’s Destiny. There would be one chance for the cause of liberty and no other. It was now or never.

Washington employed unconventional tactics in defeating the Hessians at Trenton on Christmas Day and as a result paved the way toward restoring the Continental Army’s confidence and delivering a morale shattering blow to the British. It was at this time when Washington n came to the realization that he did not have to defeat the British head to head in large pitched battles but rather keep his Army intact, alive and out of the British juggernauts reach. In other words, the British had to win and Washington simply had to not lose and remain a thorn in the side of the British. The longer Washington and his army stayed alive, the stronger the resistance grew to the point where the British saw that their efforts were acts of futility.

On October 19, 1781 the world officially witnessed the power of America’s desire to be free as the British General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown Virginia. Since then for over 220 years, Americans have enjoyed the blessings of liberty that had been brought about and documented by a series of trials and errors that eventually led to the US Constitution and the US Bill of Rights. As a Constitutional Republic, the United States, although not perfect, set about a path travelled by no other nation on earth and brought forth a civilization that even might Rome could not match. The United States became a Nation of Nations, Primus Inter Pares (first among peers).

Coming about full circle

Fast forward to 2009, where the American Federal Government has undergone the most radical transfer of power in its history threatens to rob its citizenry from the very liberty the Founding Fathers fought so hard to obtain. Its citizenry has fallen victim to the condition described by Thomas Paine in the first paragraph of The American Crisis; “What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value”. Affluencein the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s brought about complacency in the 1980’s and 90’s.Complacency then brought apathy by the turn of the century. This procession of events is commonly referred to as the Cycle of the Body Politic that was believed to be promoted by noted Scottish Historian Alexander Tyler in the mid 1780’s. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 ushered in the Age of Dependency whereas a significant portion of the population had voluntarily gave up their liberties for government security. Although one can blame the Far Left for engineering the current state of affairs, it the American people that allowed this “political fungus” to grow beneath their feet.In otherwords, US citizens have forgotten the price of freedom and have allowed nefarious forces seeded in the far left to take control and permanently alter the very fabric of American social, political and economic foundational principles.

Since the Age of Affluence starting in the 1950’s, Americans became politically complacent, economically unaccountable and socially irresponsible. By the 1960’s in many respects the US citizenry as a whole felt that it had “finally arrived” at a place to where it no longer had to worry about the same concerns our ancestors had. By the 1970’s cracks in the shining armor had begun to show and we began to ignore the very political and economic principles that made America a great country. By the 1980’s a short revival of sorts had undergone during the Reagan years that had shown great contrast to the Carter and Nixon terms. However, it was short lived largely due to its dependence on the dynamic leadership of the charismatic Reagan. His successor, George H.W. Bush was just another out of touch politician while his successor, Bill Clinton represented many of the elements that were wrong with US politics; narcissism, hubris, greed and moral cretinism. Bush the Younger proved no more in touch than his father and continued to expand upon the trend to increase the size and scope of government.

Barack Obama and the New Radical (and more dangerous) Left

Outside of President Reagan, we have basically been dealing with arrogant, out of touch and corrupt politicians. The election of Barack Obama in November 2008 brought in a whole new era of American politician. Obama’s personal history indicates radical Muslim and Marxist influences that primarily guide his political and economic philosophy. There is no evidence that proves otherwise. A lifetime of alliances, friendships and partnerships with the most radical elements in the United States clearly point to his philosophical framework. Obama is enabled by a equally radical Democratic Congress that rejects traditional American principles and values and has set a new political and economic course that will make this country unrecognizable to our fathers and grandfathers.

Many traditional Americans have seen the writing on the wall. Those who have read history with an objective lens know that Marxists, once in power, never relinquish it by electoral fiat but rather by force. The Marxist mantra is “diplomacy is delivered from the barrel of a gun” Marxists only believe in one sided debate and will never admit they are wrong on any issue. Marxism, Socialism and Communism are interchangeable terms and are based on principles that defy human nature, economic principle and broad political compatibility. Winston Churchill once stated that one cannot argue with a Communist but rather that one has to be ready to employ the use of deadly force should they threaten to impose or compromise one’s sovereignty, national security and interests.

Socialism in the US has taken a unique form in that it incorporates elements fused from a variety of past sources including National Socialism, Maoism, and French Socialism and blended with the political correctness that is promoting Muslim fundamentalist influence within the government fabric. If anyone doubts that this exists, try publicly expressing negative views about China or Islamic terrorism and see how far your career in the US Federal Government goes.

The last one hundred years of human history has, without a doubt, proven (to any reasonable and logical thinking human) that the philosophy of Marxism in any form is not successful in promoting economic engine of prosperity or the general welfare of the people. However, Constitutional Republics embracing representative democracy, limited government, and free market economics have always worked. Yet American politicians, especially Democrats continue to bring out these old tired ideas that are not worth the paper they are printed on. In a debate with Governor Jimmy carter about nationalized healthcare, Republican Candidate Ronald Reagan turned to Carter and said, “Governor, there you go again” In the 1970’s, people in general still “got it” and understood the ills of socialism, however two generations later, a poorly educated and complacent American public is more inclined to accept government assistance than ever. 

In the last few years, complacency has been replaced in large part by apathy, as US Congressional approval ratings hover around ten percent yet the same people get reelected. America as a whole has either forgotten its way or simply does not care. Ignorance and apathy are the two most powerful weapons in the Radical Left’s arsenal. Obama and his minions are attacking American liberties, values, principles, and traditions on multiples fronts. Threats to the First, Second, Fourth and Tenth Amendments have been launched by the White House and Congress in the form of anti gun legislation, the “Fairness Doctrine”, nationalized healthcare, nationalized banking, taking power away from the states and private businesses and playing God by ignoring the rights of life to the unborn. The “Card Check” legislation proposed, the leveling of arbitrary punitive taxes, and “cap and trade” legislation will serve to enslave the American people and crush American entrepreneurial spirit. A forty five year assault on the American public schools and colleges, have taken a serious toll on our youth who have been brainwashed by the liberal tripe that has eroded their sense of national identity (1). And, the “generational theft” that will be the result of unbridled spending that both parties are guilty of, will serve to relinquish our national sovereignty to dictatorships like China and Saudi Arabia who own trillions of dollars of our debt.

America’s only hope to retrieve its greatness as a nation is for a leader based in traditional American principles and values to step up, stand tall, rally the American people from the grass roots and fight for America’s soul. The American people have to come to realize that the only alternative to victory is slavery for us, our children and grandchildren. Countering this radical transformation must come quickly because time is running out. A reformed Republican Party must make substantial gains against the Democrats in 2010 and take back the Presidency in 2012 if the United States as we know is to make a recovery.

The loyal opposition must be genuine in making reforms and understand that they work for US, WE THE PEOPLE, and not the lobbyists and foreign interests. A large segment of the American electorate will not take this lying down and watch their country go down like Western Europe or some banana republic. US citizens are making a statement as Tea Parties are cropping up all over the country, illustrating how angry traditional Americans are about the conduct of the national government (2). The White House and Congress have been enhancing their power at our expense. People like Sarah Palin, who are true reformers must be embraced by her party and not held in contempt by those who feel threatened by reform and fiscal responsibility. How else will the Republican Party create separation between themselves and the radical, spend happy democrats?

In summary

For George Washington, adversity was the canvas from which his masterpiece of greatness emerged. Perhaps the Civil War and the Second World War are proof that America is at its best when its back is against the wall. Let us certainly hope so. This effort will take great courage from millions of informed and committed citizens who understand the consequences of failure (3).  But I believe time is short and as John Adams once said; “Liberty, once lost, is lost forever”

Notes:.

1. An excellent examination of this subject is brought out in Mark Levin’s new best seller, Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

2. Anyone living in or visiting the Naples Florida area can attend a Tax Day Tea Party on April 15, 2009 at these locations; Naples Bath and Tennis and at the corner of US 41 and Pine Ridge Road

3. All traditional Americans who want to stay informed of the important political events at the National level should check out the NEW MEDIA JOURNAL; a website that provides excellent news and analysis of the current state of affairs in the United States. 

James Morris has been an educator for over twenty three years. He received a Bachelors Degree in History/Social Studies from West Virginia University and a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence from the Intelligence Studies Program at American Military University. His Blog The Strategic Outlook can be found at www.townhall.com that discusses a variety of topics including Defense, National Security, Intelligence issues, Education and US Politics. He lives with his wife and family in Southwest Florida

Defying American Tradition and Principle

In regards to the US economic crisis, to be put bluntly, is the sum total of the arrogance, hubris, greed and folly of what Newt Gingrich refers to as “predatory politicians”, “predatory” lenders, and Wall Street brokers. These conditions are fostered by a complacent and at times apathetic American public, who has become immersed into an abyss of self induced ignorance, narcissism and an ever-growing sense of entitlement. It is the “predatory politicians” however are the one’s leading the charge and are the true enablers of the guys on Wall Street. These law makers include Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. The Bush Administration has also failed to look out for the folks like it should. One of the problems with Bush the Elder was that he was so out of touch with the general public and his son has followed suit with that tradition. John McCain to his credit is documented in the Congressional Record as making a sincere attempt to rein in Fanny and Freddie and avoid a housing crisis that would burden the US taxpayer. The US Government has allowed interest groups, foreign lobbies and agents of influence receiving taxpayer dollars such as ACORN, to run amok and trample the sacred political and economic rights of the US taxpayers and citizens. As a result of these conditions, which have slowly crept onto the American political and economic landscape in the last four and a half decades, the traditions and foundational principles that define the United States and the Great American Experiment in general are at very serious risk of being transformed into an entity that will be not only alien to traditional Americans but may be irreversible within the realm of American political discourse.

America’s First Socialist Experiment

In order to understand the rapid degeneration of the American economic and political foundations, it is important to briefly review the historical record outlining the origins of those principles and traditions. In the 1620’s, the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts at first attempted to carry out a communal form of economic exchange that resembled a primitive form of Socialism. The Colonists led by William Bradford however found that such methods failed to produce the necessary output to survive let alone thrive. Bradford made such notations in his journal and found that allowing to Colonists to market goods among themselves and the local Indians in a free market system, production immediately increased to levels beyond subsistence. As a result, America’s first capitalistic venture had trumped the constraints of the Socialist system setting the precedent that would eventually shed its mercantilist constructs a century and a half later.

Seldon’s Penny

Meanwhile in England, during the reign of Charles I, Parliamentarian and respected barrister, John Seldon presented arguments that connected property rights and taxation. Seldon made the comment, “My penny is as much my own as the King’s ten pence is his; if the King may defend his ten pence, why not Seldon his penny?” In other words, the property of all Englishmen is just as sacred as that of the King’s. This argument was presented over a century later by Colonial law makers protesting the Stamp Act.

Locke’s Contribution

Another important American tradition founded in both English and American and Constitutional law draws a direct connection between political society and property rights. In John Locke’s Two Treatises on Government expresses the inseparable connection between property and personal liberty; as both of these tangible and intangible products are one in the same. In classic Anglo-Saxon tradition, the view at the time was held that the difference between slavery and serfdom and that of a free man was the level at which the government infringes upon a persons liberty and his right to accrue and retain property. As a result, the accumulation of wealth does not justify an increased level of infringement imposed by the government.

Faith + Morality = Liberty

The tradition of American Liberty is also inseparable to religious faith; a component that was also tied indirectly to nearly every aspect of daily life. French historian Alexis de Tocqueville who spent much of his adult life in the United States during the early 1800’s is quoted, “ Liberty cannot be established without morality and morality without faith….Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other” De Tocqueville draws direct comparison to his native France who at the time abandoned religious faith en masse resulting in a politically and socially fragmented nation. In regards to the relationship between government and religion, respected author and American historian Robert Middlekauf states in his book The Glorious Cause, that an overwhelming consensus of intellectuals in the 17^th and 18^th century ----“generally agreed that political society had its ultimate origins in the Divine Will” These same scholars also understood that government alone could not restrain the passions and default behaviors of the masses, that when unbridled, would result in chaos and political anarchy. Only the firm belief of a higher power coupled with holding accountable one’s behavior to the Almighty could keep man’s inhumanity to man in check. Therefore, in the eyes of an American in the late 18^th Century, the concept of a separation of church and state would not only be alien but an intolerable imposition of a government that sought to establish itself in the role of tyrants and the repressive conditions she sought to escape in the first place.

America’s fall from Grace

The past two generations of Americans have experienced a swell of abundance that has been unprecedented in world history. They have not witnessed a Great Depression, rationing, Nazi tyranny, or the brinksmanship of the Cold War The Americans at the lowest rung of the socio-economic totem pole are more likely to live in a sound structure, have air conditioning, an automobile, a washer, dryer, microwave, cell phone, health care (Medicaid) and access to public education, than the average person in Western Europe.  However, predatory politicians have found that it is possible to pander for votes by bribing its constituency from the coffers of the public treasury. This is primarily the modus operandi of the Democratic Party (the Entitlement Party) however Republicans have championed Earmark Spending and “pork barrel’ legislation at unprecedented levels. The cronyism on both sides of the aisle has sold out the public interest to lobbyists and special interest to the point treason. I say that because of blatant and deliberate actions by members of Congress such as Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and others have precipitated the current crisis and have compromised US National Security by placing its economy in the most vulnerable position since the Great Depression. It is highly likely that when the history of this crisis is written sometime in the near future, it will be revealed that members of our own government, conspiring with other agents of influence such as George Soros, power brokers in Dubai, Russia and China have manipulated the markets in such a way as to achieve a desirable political outcome for the Democratic Party in the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections.

While the economy is a mess, the election of Barack Obama by the American people would be more likely be the result of the complacency, apathy, self induced ignorance and sense of entitlement that its citizenry have become more comfortable with the last thirty-five years. These conditions have been fostered by the gradual erosion of the nations collective state of spirituality and faith which has been endlessly bombarded by the ACLU, atheist organizations, the pervasive influence of Marxist/Socialist doctrine in the US public and college education system and the support of the high courts that legislate by judicial fiat.  Americans have become comfortable with “outsourcing” their problems or passing them along to someone else. Rather than fight the day to day battles they would rather someone else do it for them; the government, the mainstream media, etc. Summarizing Edward Gibbon, “Romans did not want to be Romans anymore” and the citizenry of the United States of America have followed suit whereas Americans quit being Americans. Like the “boiling frog” analogy, many Americans have become comfortable with the government solving their problems. As a result they have given up many of their freedoms and personal independence.

Tyler and de Tocqueville

This idea is supported by 18^th Century Scottish historian Alexander Tyler who supposedly penned the concept of the “Cycle of the Body Politic”, where civilizations go through stages ranging from slavery to freedom to abundance to apathy to dependence and back to slavery. He is often credited at stating that democracy as a permanent form of government will exist only until its citizenry realizes it can secure benefits from the treasury. Alexis de Tocqueville made a similar observation saying, “The American republic will endure until the day Congress discovers it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”  For many traditional Americans, it was unfathomable that this state of affairs was even a remote possibility in the United States and oft en scoffed at such a scenario. However , it is clear that the last two generations of Americans in general are not equipped emotionally or educationally to understand the consequences of tolerating the subversion of the US Constitution, America’s Economic and Social infrastructure by the radical left wing minority that is represented by the current leadership in Congress. Equally as clear, is the recurring theme of “redistributing wealth” presented by Barack Obama firmly places his and his Congressional cronies in the Socialist camp. What today’s Generation does not realize is that Socialism is simply Communism-Lite; which should put the fear of the Almighty in to everyone who wishes to preserve the nation founded by George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Any assessment to the contrary would be pure folly to any traditional American and/or reputable academician.

It is a disturbing thought that a significantly larger portion of Americans are comfortable with the “Socialist label” without having any idea of the implications that such policies would bring. Once again, de Tocqueville discusses this issue with clarity, “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference; while Democracy seeks equality through liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude” According to the Cycle of the Body Politic, once forty percent or more of the populace are 50% dependent on the government’s largesse, it is a very short ride back to bondage and slavery. The Democrat’s goal to reach those numbers could possibly come to fruition by the year 2012 if their candidate is elected. They only have about ten percentage points to go. This feat could be easily attained by giving drivers licenses to illegal aliens; an event that could change the dynamics of the US political landscape so profoundly, that it could  quite possibly never recover to its former self. Two more liberal Supreme Court Justices would complete the Democratic trifecta and eliminate any balance of power and any sizable opposition.

Quite possibly America’s last chance

Should the Republican Party win the Presidency (about 30% chance as of October 31), they would have four more years to turn things around and adopt the Conservative principles the party was founded on. A continuation of the Bush Era would finish it off for good. True reform with true accountability along with fiscal responsibility and actually achieving energy independence among other lofty goals that never get off the ground are mandatory accomplishments if the party hopes to survive. People like Governors Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal must lead the way for the GOP’s future in paving the way for government reform.

However, it may be too late with Obama’s lead firmly entrenched as it is. Remember the socialist agenda has never been one to go down into that good night. Just look at Venezuela. The only way to change that government is by a bloody revolution that would cost hundreds of thousands of lives. When John Adams and Thomas Jefferson passed each other after the election of 1800; one going out and one going in, the world held its breath and in amazement they gazed at a first time political event in world history; the peaceful handing over of executive power from one party to another. The Democrats won’t give up power next time without serious confrontation and will do what they can, like Hugo Chavez to maintain it. Traditional Americans must be ready for when that day comes to take back their country and restore the original life given to it by the Founding Fathers.

James T. Morris holds a Masters Degree in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University and a Bachelors Degree in Social Studies Education and History from West Virginia University. He is an intelligence analyst, writer, and lifelong secondary school educator in the Florida Public School System as well as owning a private education company. His column, The Strategic Outlook discusses issues of National Security, Geopolitics, and Education Issues in the US, can be viewed on www.townhall.com .

2008 US Presidential Election: A New Time for Choosing

The United States of America is on the verge of its greatest crisis since the Great Depression and the attack on Pearl Harbor. During that time, the US economy was still firmly entrenched in the Depression, Japan had destroyed a large portion of the US Pacific Fleet (sans the Aircraft Carriers) and had marched on China and East Asia including the Philippine Islands, Nazi Germany had conquered almost all of Europe, North Africa and was on the verge of destroying the Soviet Union. Both the US and Nazi Germany were hastily pursuing the development of the atomic bomb; unbeknownst to the public of course. December 7, 1941 proved to be one of the darkest hours in history since the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. Americans certainly had a good reason to be concerned for the future. Fortunately for the world, America’s fighting spirit, sacrifice ingenuity and the reliability of her only true allies; (Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) had turned the tide. I know what you are saying, Russia absorbed a tremendous blow and was an equal component in Nazi Germany’s demise however, Stalin proved to be nearly as much of a problem as Hitler, forcing the US into the Cold War immediately after WWII.

Today, we are at a crossroads of equal significance, perhaps even more so than in 1941.  The US economy is in serious straits, its military over stretched fighting two wars and its citizenry along with a fifteen million plus illegal alien population are locked in an internal struggle and culture war that will determine the nations character and place in world affairs for the next half a century. Traditional institutions such as locally funded public education, the Boys and Girls Scouts of America, faith based initiatives and the community support of churches that made America strong have given way to secular progressive initiatives such as Planned Parenthood, sex education programs and the removal of spirituality from the public forum. These initiatives have served to break down the traditional social and cultural infrastructure in the US. Today, America’s youth today are less educated, less mature and less responsible and accountable than any time in history and are thus less capable of making important critical thinking decisions such as the electing of public officials; especially for President of the United States.

America’s Radical and Corrupt Democratic Majority   

In January 2007, the most radical, corrupt left wing party in the history of the US Congress, led by Senators Harry Reid, Howard Dean, Joe Biden, Christopher Dodd, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Barney Frank and others have taken over public policy and have presided over the “tanking” of the US economy. In fact, the Democratic Congress has a vested interest in promoting an economic recession which would ensure a repudiation of the Republican Party in 2008. Evidence of this abounds such as Senator Schumer’s intentional and irresponsible public statements indicating the California based Indy Mac Bank was in dire straits causing a panic among its customers. This type of economic sabotage is subtle but illustrates the radical Islamist mantra of “death by a thousand cuts”. This recession was aided by a politically expedient element within the Democratic Party that allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to carry out its unregulated political agenda by making millions of bad home loans to unqualified minorities with intentional forethought and total disregard to the economic well being of the country. This kind of blatant disregard and malice toward the American people during the 1940’s would have landed some of these characters in jail or at the very least out of a job and socially ostracized.

With the radical left in America gaining so much influence in the government and the intentional subversion of the US economy, which is on the verge of a deep recession, the United States could experience a transformation that could redefine its character in such a way that would make it unrecognizable to the last generation of Americans. This type of transformation would also make the US more vulnerable than ever to attacks both from within and without by state and non state actors who seek America’s demise. America’s external enemies such as Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah, Venezuela, North Korea, al Qaeda and others are poised to take advantage of the current political and economic chaos and instability, which makes the 2008 Presidential Election as the most important in modern US history. American voters will have a choice between two VERY different candidates that have equally different visions of the course direction the country should take.

2008 Presidential Election: The Fix is in

Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) is poised to be the next President of the United States if the economy continues to slide and his opponent John McCain does not come up with some strategy to change the status quo. If there was ever an election that was based upon the fictional creation of a charater who operated in an engineered environment that was bought and rigged to produce the desired outcome, the Presidential election of 2008 is it. Ninety percent of the mainstream print and television media are actively pulling for Obama to win. Radical left wing elements such as NBC/MSNBC, MoveOn.org, Media Matters, the Daily Kos, the Huffington Post and billionaire George Soros are planning to invest a total of $350 million on top of the nearly one billion dollars raised by the Obama Campaign and his Hollywood elite friends to win this election.

Another alarming element stems from voter fraud on an unprecedented scale in dozens of states, by radical left wing groups such as ACORN, who receives millions of taxpayer dollars every year and are currently being investigated, promise to bring many hundreds of thousands of illegal voters as well as those non living to the polls on November 4^th, a move which could tip the balance of the election even if is only marginally close. ACORN and the Democratic Congress are complicit and chiefly responsible for much of the current financial meltdown and chaos in the United States. Obama, ACORN’s attorney and chief advisor in Chicago during the 1990’s, is “neck deep” in its activities. Obama is also getting support from billionaire Warren Buffet whose Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is poised to make tens of billions of dollars from the $700 billion dollar bailout plan, which is ultimately designed to concentrate the country’s assets and power into the hands of the government (Party apparatchiks) and the power brokers that pull its strings. These events and activities have for the first time in history placed the United States on the path of economic and political Socialism and as a result putting at an end, the Great American Experiment put forth two and a quarter centuries ago by America’s Founding Fathers.

A Question of, “How?” and “Why?”

In the future, as many traditional Americans write their memoirs in their “Golden Years”, they may come to a part at the end and ask, “Why did it happen?”, and “How did it happen?” How did the America we knew and loved so much in our youth in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s fall to the dark forces of apathy, dependency, mediocrity and timidity. Most will come to the realization that while many honest Americans were concerned about being attacked from outside, we ignored the attack from within. Without firing a shot, America’s enemies, including many within its own government, ate away at our cultural, social, political and economic infrastructure in ways that eventually took on the form of an inoperable malignant cancer, metastasizing in the vital organs, eventually killing the patient. Unlike most terminal cancer patients who fight to the end, America as a whole lost its will to fight long before the flat line was declared. Like Rome in the Fifth Century AD and Europe in the mid 20^th Century, America’s enemies could declare victory without firing a shot.

A Time for Choosing

In 1964, Ronald Reagan speaking at the Republican National Convention prophetically made a plea for the American people to make the right choice. History has arguably shown that the election of Barry Goldwater would have probably staved off the malaise and cancer of Big Government that began in earnest with the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson for many decades. At that time, the United States had some leeway and had built up a considerable amount of economic, political and social capital from which to draw upon. The “bank” however has now run dry, placing America at the crossroads of a transformation that will determine its course for at least the next half a century or more.

It is not my job or anybody’s job to tell anyone how to vote or that they have to vote. That is not what freedom, liberty and representative democracy is all about. Make no mistake about it though; I believe in this case that there is a right choice and a wrong choice, if you are a traditional American. The right choice, although not perfect, will give the US the reprieve it so desperately needs to course correct from the Bush Administration’s failings.  There is no Republican candidate, along with his running mate Sarah Palin that could be further in their views away from those of George W. bush.

The wrong choice will give a clear path for the next President to choose at least two if not three Supreme Court Justices; a court that will legislate by judicial fiat, making the US Constitution in essence a “flexible” thus worthless document.

The next President will also find a way to allow those millions of “undocumented workers” from Latin America the right to vote; a dynamic so profound that it will eliminate the Republican Party as a serious contender in National Elections. In other words the US will effectively become a one party state. Hello Hugo Chavez!

This next President would support the “Fairness Doctrine”, promoted by Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, which says that conservative talk radio and other editorial formats, would have to represent liberals on their board and viewpoints on the airwaves; virtually eliminating the First Amendment and Free Speech. Hello Fidel Castro!

The next President will find it perfectly acceptable for the Obama Youth Brigade in public schools to chant songs of flowery virtue and praise for the “anointed one”. Hello Kim Jung Il!

That next President will probably find it perfectly acceptable for his “Truth Squads” to dictate to local and state law enforcement to crack down on bloggers, journalists and public officials who make unflattering statements about the character of or investigate the policies of or protest the leadership of the Chief Executive. Hello Vladimir Putin!

If the previous statements appear to be the product of conjecture, then I would like to point out that the public record already supports these scenarios based on events and statements made by Senator Obama and his Campaign staff and reported on the New Media Journal and Townhall.com. Never before has any serous candidate or contender for the Office of the President held such radical left wing views and supported by an equally radical left wing majority party in Congress. Even more dangerous, Mr. Obama has no administrative or foreign policy experience and has spent most of his four years in the US Senate, running for President. The combination of his ideology and his inexperience is a lethal cocktail that will explode on the American political, geopolitical and economic landscape leaving it unrecognizable for decades to come.

It will be imperative to all traditionalists and concerned Americans across the country to come out and vote on November 4^th, 2008, in order to counter balance the deception, subversion, corruption and fraud that has characterized the majority party’s tactics in getting their candidate elected. This may be our last chance to let our voice be heard in the way that our Forefathers intended it, so let’s make right choice for all American’s sake!

National Security Challenges for the Next US President

Because of the current financial meltdown of the US economy and the attention that it has drawn from the national spotlight, key issues that normally define a US Presidential Election have been largely ignored by both the public and the press. This financial situation threatens to do great harm to our economy also has long term national security implications on top of the immediate consequences that will affect our pocketbooks and wallets; therefore the economy is of primary importance. When it comes to the economy however, it is the US Congress that plays a significantly greater role than that of the US President. While the President’s bully pulpit can be used to champion a limited number of important issues, the hundreds of bills and debates that take place in Congress, along with its interaction with other elements in the US economy, including Wall Street power brokers, has more to do with its day to day running and it more responsible for its health and well being. It is the Congressional approval rating by its constituency that more closely identifies with the current state of the economy than the approval rating of the President.

A close examination of the US Constitution reveals that the job and the chief responsibilities of the President is more in line with national domestic law enforcement, foreign policy, making treaties and the role as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. The president is an administrator and a chief executive, whose ability to delegate authority and make command decisions based on sound judgment, defines the benchmarks of his or her performance rather than the state of the economy. While this description does not absolve the President from taking a certain amount of responsibility for the environment that affects the economy, it does place into perspective where attention needs to be drawn in both times of crisis and prosperity. In other words, Presidents get too much blame when the economy goes south and too much credit during times of great prosperity.

This misperception is no more apparent than with the case with President Clinton whom so many accredit to the great economic boom of the 1990’s. The truth of the matter lies more with two key events that transformed the nation. The first breakthrough that sent the stock market through the roof was the advent of the internet and all of its implications (Al Gore even took credit for that). The second was the first elected Republican majority in Congress in many decades that brought forth the Contract for America which helped balance the budget, secure welfare reform and other key fiscal issues. All these actions were performed in a bipartisan spirit, one that is seriously lacking today.

With that said, at least a small portion of the great Presidential debate should center on national security issues both political and economic and should not be relegated to the backburner of US politics. There are some national security issues that the next US President will have to immediately address based on the following assumptions: one the economic crisis will severely limit the presidents options regarding many national security issues including the projection of force to protect our assets abroad as well as at home and two: historically America’s enemies will test the reaction and resolve of the new president very early in the next administration just as the Soviets did with Kennedy and Carter and Saddam Hussein with Bush the First and al Qaeda with both Clinton and Bush the Second.

The next US President will faced a multi pronged challenge emanating from three fronts. The first test will come from Iran and its proxy Hezbollah as they get closer to developing a nuclear device which will force Israel’s hand in the matter. Iran has a close alliance with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez is now providing bases of operation for Hezbollah and other terrorist groups such as the FARC This is one of several intrusions into Latin America by US’ adversaries that will threaten our southern border Contrary to what many believe, Iran’s close ties with al Qaeda before and after 9/11 imply a far more sinister deception about to take place in the next eighteen months.

The second storm will come from Moscow as Vladimir Putin is determined to gain political hegemony in Eastern Europe. Russia hopes to divert the United States attention away from Eastern Europe by gaining a foothold in Latin America. Russia’s close alliance with Venezuela to whom they have sold billions of dollars in arms and are basing troops, strategic aircraft and naval units seriously threatens to erupt into another “Cuban Missile Crisis”. Russia is also providing funding and weapons to Iran as well as a subtle attempt at undermining the pro US government in Mexico by supporting ultra violent paramilitary drug cartels (1). The violence there has already spilled over the US-Mexican border and must be addressed quickly before it gets completely out of hand.

The third and perhaps most important crisis will come from the threat the People’s Republic of China poses to US political and economic interests at home and abroad. Now that the 2008 Olympics are over, China will become even more bellicose, aggressive and demanding as the US debt with that country spirals out of sight. Beijing will alsotake more forceful political action in Latin America where it has placed billions of dollars of influence money and investment into those countries infrastructures. China has established and secured port facilities in many Latin American countries allowing People Liberation Army free reign to conduct covert operations that will solidify its political base which will be used to export Marxist style revolution. China also threatens to close the technology gap in our Defense Establishment through the use of espionage. Every two weeks, the US Department of Justice releases the results of espionage trials of Chinese Nationals, Chinese Americans or natural born Americans convicted of spying for the Peoples Republic (2). Most of these spies work in defense industries have high level security clearances and are selling US secrets to Chinese operatives, mostly out of fear of reprisals for their families back in Asia. Various estimates place the number of Chinese spies in the area of thousands depending whose information you go by. For those not convinced of China’s sinister intentions toward the US, consider the fact that since 1949, the Communist government of China has been responsible for the deaths of forty to seventy million of its own citizens as a result of coercion to government programs such as the Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution and forced collectivization. Prison camps, gulags and labor camps were destinations for political malcontents disagreeing with the government. Imagine how they feel about Americans.

The challenges facing the next US President will be immense and will probably determine America’s course for many decades to come. The next president will also have to be informed by the RIGHT (as in correct sources) in educating themselves in regards to these national security threats. Unfortunately The State Department, numerous intellectual think tanks in Washington DC and many in the American international business community are frighteningly naïve at best on these issues. The next president will have to “connect the dots” in order to outline a clear picture of how America’s enemies collectively seek her destruction. Even the US Intelligence Community and Defense Establishment are often divided on these matters, making it even more important to have a president who is an independent thinker who acts not on political expediency but rather on what is best for the country. The next US President will have to exhibit courage, commitment and competence in recognizing both immediate and long term threats to America’s national security and must place country above party and self, initiating sound and timely judgments to secure its future.

Useful References

(1)   Strategic Forecasting Inc. a.k.a. Stratfor - Geopolitical intelligence, economic, political, and military strategic forecasting | Stratfor :non subscribers can access weekly intelligence reports by logging on the website and signing up

(2)   Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Centre is your one stop shop for up to date information on the current US threat environment.

THE NEW MEDIA JOURNAL is also very good at finding important stories relating to US national security, not found in the mainstream media

The Geopolitical Implications of an Obama Presidency

       This article discusses the geopolitical implications of how the current US Presidential Election will affect US National Security in the coming decade. There are sharp differences between the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, on foreign policy and national security issues. To date, there has no rational argument presented (at least to my knowledge), that Mr. Obama has demonstrated any real competence in these matters, hence his selection of Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his Vice Presidential running mate. McCain on the other hand, with the exception of Dwight D. Eisenhower, has a better understanding of the geopolitical implications the US Presidency holds in the state of world affairs than any candidate in modern American history. McCain draws from personal experience in his basic understanding of the nature of the external threats facing the United States today. Communism, Marxism, Islamic extremism, global jihadism, ethnic nationalism, National Socialism and transnational crime syndicates are movements that have been reenergized and enhanced by the technical advancements of the Information Age and represent a clear and present danger to the security of the Free World and the United States. The top priority of any US President lies in their ability to protect the citizens and national security assets of the United States. As chief law enforcement official and Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, the President must be competent in areas of foreign policy negotiation and implementation as well as military and security issues. The President cannot be great at everything however he must be highly astute in these matters.

The Evolution and Nature of the Current Threat Environment

       Nations that have an adversarial relationship with the United States are eagerly watching the United States Presidential race. The last eight years brought about a paradigm change in US foreign policy, largely due to the events of 9/11 and the subsequent actions taken by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and at home. US predispositions regarding the pre 9/11 global threat environment in hindsight looked naive at best and grossly misinformed and misguided at worst. The lack of a clear mandate from the Bush Administration in early 2001 in regards to defining threats to US national security and implementing a sound policy to counter those threats, reveals how President Bush, at that time, did not view this element of foreign policy much differently than his predecessor, Mr. Clinton; who tended to act more on the basis of political expediency rather than passive indifference. Therefore, the reality of the current view and assessment of America’s vulnerability on 9/11 should be placed along a time line that begins with the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, all the way through to that tragic day in 2001.

       Between the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s to September 11, 2001, the United States Intelligence Community and US Defense Establishment underwent a significant amount of attrition that resulted in the diminishment of its capabilities to detect and counter threats from adversarial state and no state actors who wish to undermine US National Security and global influence. More specifically, the dominance of using technical means of acquiring intelligence (TECHINT) and the diminishment of human intelligence (HUMINT) had created a vulnerability to strategic deception operations; a gap in which America’s enemies including al Qaeda, Iran and Iraq would exploit.

The attrition of US HUMINT assets is clearly illustrated in Robert Baer’s work titled See No Evil, William Daugherty’s work Executive Secrets and Michael Scheurer’s book Imperial Hubris. For instance, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had 10,000 operatives worldwide in every corner and dark hole on earth in the 1980’s. By 1998 however, the CIA had only 1,000 operatives worldwide. Without eyes and ears in some very dangerous spots such as the Middle East, The US Intelligence Community had lost a high level of effectiveness in its ability to detect adversarial targets, movements, plans, capabilities and intentions. On top of that, many new managers in the US Intelligence Community appointed by the Clinton Administration had for political expediency, deemphasized the threats posed by Russian, Chinese, Cuban and Iranian infiltration and espionage, which had not abated despite the end of the Cold War. This “politically correct” reconstruction of significant portion of the US Intelligence Community had given these organizations an image more characterized by career civil servants rather than intrepid intelligence operatives and supervisors. The US military also suffered cutbacks during the Clinton Administration which resulted in a diminishment of the United States military’s ability to project power around the globe.  In other words, the United States had dangerously exposed itself to emerging global threats that would immediately fill the vacuum left by the former Soviet Union while at the same time establishing a culture marked by careerism, political expediency and risk aversion.

Seven years after 9/11, despite attempts by al Qaeda, America has not been attacked and as a result, a sense of complacency among the US citizenry as well as many academic and political observers concerning domestic terrorist activity has taken hold. However, there is credible evidence to believe that should such a decimation to the ranks of the US Intelligence Community and Defense Establishment occur in the next four years as it did during the 1990’s, the United States could fall victim to strategic surprise by any number of adversarial actors who wish to diminish and even cripple US power.  The emerging trend of a loose coalition of actors including Russia, China, Iran, Sudan, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, a number of criminal organizations and drug cartels among others, who have a vested interest seeking America’s demise are dedicated towards pursuing that end. The sum total of this threat includes not only conventional methods of warfare but more importantly unconventional and asymmetrical means of undermining the US and the West. While the threat of nuclear war was always a serious concern during the Cold War, America’s internal strength and political resolve never wavered and eventually emerged victorious in that struggle.

The solid political resolve toward countering Soviet and Chinese Communism characterizing the US foreign policy mandate of the 1940’s and 1950’s, has slowly given way to political corruption, divisiveness, cynicism and uncertainty. In 1960, both Jack Kennedy and Richard Nixon represented themselves as staunch supporters of the military and national defense. Their debates in 1960 did more to separate their personal traits rather than their political positions of key issues. The debates characterized the similarities of their positions rather than their differences, unlike the political paradigm today that reflects the very sharp, distinctive and uncompromising positions on issues of national security that have created a gridlock environment on Capitol Hill. Since 2001, the political paralysis resulting from this condition reduces the US Federal Government’s ability to move forward towards dealing with the evolving nature of the national security threat environment.

Fast forward to November 2008; the years 2009-2012 will represent a crossroads in American history similar to the 1938-1941 period before the US entry into the Second World War. The rise of an expansionist Russia, hell bent on retrieving the former Soviet satellites, the neo colonial policies and massively expanding economy of the Peoples Republic of China and a global insurgency fueled by the rogue state Iran, its proxy Hezbollah as well as its association with militant Islamic organizations such as al Qaeda, all represent a clear and present danger to US National Security. Add into that mix North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria, Venezuela and other sponsors of terrorism and Marxist Revolution teaming up with transnational criminal narcotics organizations such as the Russian Mafia, Chinese Triads, MS-13 and Mexican Drug Cartels and you have a lethal cocktail that is mobile, elusive and difficult to pin down and track. Recent actions taken by Russia, China and Iran including Russia’s invasion of Georgia, China’s cyber attacks on key US assets, and Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and exportation of terrorist assets in Venezuela all point towards a head on collision with the United States

The United States in 2008, just like in 1938, is unprepared for the coming conflict; just like it was unprepared for 9/11.The only real difference between these two periods comes from a political perspective where President Roosevelt realized early on that war with Hitler was inevitable but could do little to convince the American people of the danger and the need to participate in another European conflict. This brings us to the current race for the American Presidency between Barack Obama and John McCain. When it comes to national defense there are very sharp distinctions that separate the two candidates. McCain, who has a strong military background and heritage, has a clear understanding of how the military establishment and intelligence community buttresses foreign policy, whereas Obama has shown the same deference toward the military and intelligence community as Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Carter and Clinton both drastically cut defense spending and distrusted the CIA. US National Security has been an afterthought on the Democratic Party Platform since the mid 1960’s and continues to be so today by any measurable benchmark. It would be safe to assume that an Obama Presidency would bring on similar actions from the White House and Democratic Party controlled Capitol Hill. As a result one would probably expect the same negative consequences in foreign policy that has famously characterized the Carter and Clinton Administrations; with one ominous difference.

In many ways, the global threat environment today is more dangerous than the conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Today, America is besieged on many fronts, both internally and externally. The fight against militant Islam is a serious threat that has been enhanced by the infiltration of hundreds of sleeper cells, the establishment of paramilitary compounds such as Islamburg, right here on US soil, and hundreds if not thousands of spies that hold high level security clearance working in the US Government, Defense Establishment, Intelligence Community and US defense contractors.  According to Dr. Paul Williams, author of Day of Islam; in 1965, there were 10,000 Muslims living in the United States. Today, there is over 10,000,000 and continuing to rise. Even a small percentage of these becoming radicalized could prove disastrous and provide a dangerous fifth column in the US. The struggle between militant Islam and its more moderate practitioners will more than likely be problematic in the US in the near future as it already has in Western Europe, which is threatened to be overrun politically by Muslim majorities in the next ten to twenty years.

Iranian and al Qaeda’s incursions into South America have been significant in the last fifteen years. Hezbollah has established itself in Venezuela as well as the lawless Tri Border Region (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay). Many tens of thousands of Muslims from the Middle East have migrated to South America. Many of them have been trained as sleeper agents for Iran and al Qaeda. They learn Spanish as well as English and culturally assimilate to blend in with the Hispanic communities in Venezuela and Mexico where they obtain false documents and other necessities to cross the US southern border. From there they go and seek out Muslim communities in Dearborn Michigan, Los Angeles or Newark New Jersey where they can begin recruitment and planning operations. Their intentions and agendas are sinister and their means violent in nature.

Much the same can be said of the Chinese who have many tens of thousands of spies in this country under the guise of every kind of cover imaginable; from university students to engineers, businessmen and government workers and researchers at high tech defense contractors and nuclear power facilities. America’s business relations with Beijing have clouded the extreme threat China poses to US national security and political stability.  The China lobby in Washington DC is a very powerful one among US policy makers. Right under the United States’ nose, China has been subtly laying a solid infrastructure for exporting its Marxist Revolution into South and Central America. The infusion of billions of dollars into countries such as Nicaragua, Cuba, the Bahamas and Ecuador along with its alliance with Venezuela has left behind a significant presence of the People’s Liberation Army and MSS (the Chinese Foreign Intelligence Service) which operate from a mandate of undermining democratic institutions and supplanting them with Marxist inspired governments. So far they have been very successful in fermenting anti American sentiment and undermining US influence. Hutchinson-Whampoa, a Chinese Army front organization has leased and purchased port and customs facilities in a number of Latin American countries as well as in the Bahamas, where they control the WMD inspections for imports into the United States. The Chinese military also occupies former bases and jungle warfare training facilities once used by the US Army and SOCOM in Panama and South America. This deteriorating condition for US national security in the Western Hemisphere is not what Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, “Ike” Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan had in mind when they made references to the Monroe Doctrine in US foreign policy statements.

The Russians have also stepped up their offensive intelligence operations and “active measures” programs according to a very high level Russian SVR defector. Russia has made it clear that it will not tolerate a high level of US influence in Eastern Europe and intends on reclaiming its former satellites. It considers the US its number one adversary and Great Britain number two as evidenced by the number of assassinations and assassination attempts of British government officials, Russian expatriates, Russian, British and American journalists and key critics of the Putin government. Russia, like the Chinese use cyber warfare against US targets and US allies in Eastern Europe like Estonia and has a spy network in the US that may exceed levels the Soviets had in place during the Cold War. This should not come as a surprise as Putin is a former KGB colonel and has installed former KGB members into key governmental positions. Russia today is a KGB state that is fueled by a Russian National Socialist ideology that is more in line with German Nazism than Soviet Communism. The KGB is now known as the FSB and SVR; a different name for the same thing.

Russia is desperately trying to counter US and NATO efforts to bring neighbors such as Georgia and Ukraine under the NATO umbrella. The US anti ballistic missile program (ABM) scheduled to be installed in Poland in the near future, has also drawn the ire of Moscow to the point where they have threatened a nuclear strike on that country should the US carry through with the treaty. While some dismiss this as bluster and saber rattling, one must understand the role history plays into Russian foreign policy and how it perceives Eastern Europe to be its “playground” as well as a buffer against the West. This is a geopolitical game of “chicken” to see who is going to blink first. Relinquishing the US commitment to the freedom loving Poles would be a foreign policy disaster for the United States and would allow Russia to run roughshod over the rest of Eastern Europe while it intimidates Western Europe into submission, and as a result, extinguishing US influence on the continent.

What does it all boil down to?

In a nutshell, little has changed in Russia in the past one hundred years except for one thing; they are more dangerous than ever. There are no components within the Russian government that can temper the bold aspirations of Putin and his political allies inside the Kremlin. All resistance has been systematically crushed, the government is flush with $750 billion in petro dollars and its recent military success in Georgia has served to embolden the Kremlin in the planning of their next strategic move. Normal diplomacy is totally useless when engaging a country that knows no law and has no integrity. We learned that lesson with Herr Hitler in 1938 and 1939. Ukraine will be their next move along with threatening to cut off heating oil and petroleum supplies to Eastern and Central Europe One of the problems with US policy toward Moscow in the past two decades has been the ignoring of Russia’s history and culture which is inclined to reject Western political institutions over the more familiar totalitarian Asian formats. In other words, Western attitudes toward Russia have been based more on wishful thinking rather than the obvious facts.

The Chinese government is the most dangerous of all US adversaries because they are truly the masters of deception. The Chinese mindset is so alien to the average American, who understands more about Klingon physiology, than about Asian military history, it staggers the imagination. The Chinese Communist Government has always felt racially and politically superior to the United States (and the rest of the world for that matter); much the same as the Japanese during World War II. Their government is classified as a “revolutionary” entity designed to export its Marxist ideas by means of propaganda, subversion and violence if necessary. They have a vastly different value of human life as the Communist government has deliberately murdered tens of millions of their own people during the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s by forcibly implementing draconian policies such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution on its unwilling citizenry. It can then be safe to say that their consideration and esteem for Westerners is not too high. They consider Communism and Capitalism irreconcilable ideologies; therefore in their mindset, strategic conflict with the United States is inevitable. They consider any negotiation, a means to buy time to gain an immovable advantage in the future. Still the US is conflicted as to the threat the Chinese pose to long term national security.

The folly of misguided US foreign policy however can be best exemplified in its dealings with Iran during the Carter Administration. Removing CIA and US military support from the Shah of Iran in the late 1970’s was one of the greatest political tragedies in American history. President Carter, who we now know has always had strong anti Israeli sentiments and favored the Islamists in the Palestinian issue, is in large part responsible for many of the geopolitical problems the US faces today in the Middle East. Iran and its ally al Qaeda have set forth an apocalyptical vision for its followers in their quest to wage jihad on the West.

The President of Iran waits patiently to develop nuclear weapons and at the same time plant its terror cells through its paramilitary arm Hezbollah, all over the Western world as it is currently doing in South America and the United States. They threaten to commit atrocities and acts of terrorism in any country that opposes their views or defends themselves from Iranian attacks. This threat will also come into play when Iran sets off a weapon of mass destruction against Israel, with whom Iran has threatened to “blow off the face of the earth” According to the Iranian President, any nation who defends Israel will suffer a mass of terror attacks. Iran has also experimented in recent missile tests in the Caspian Sea from a naval platform in a mock nuclear (EMP) attack which would take place in a strategic spot over the US. An attack of this kind would in effect cripple the US electronic infrastructure and military command and control capability which is totally dependent upon satellite communication networks. In their eyes, there is no reconciliation between Islam and Western culture and politics. Negotiations are seen as a sign of weakness and will always use them to gain strategic surprise over their naïve Western adversary.

The next president of the United States is going to have to come to grips with some irrefutable facts that are based on the historic record of global politics for the last one hundred years. Evidence based on historical record as well as forensic investigation point toward the direction of a national security threat environment that is defined by a global insurgency conducted by a loose affiliation of state, rogue state and non state actors who are dedicated to diminishing the power, wealth and influence of the United States at home and abroad. The parallel of today’s geopolitical issues to the year 1938 are very apparent, implying that the next US President will more than likely have to guide this country through its next global conflict. The President of the United States, who ever it may be, must have a clear picture and understanding based on the breadth and depth of this very real and serious threat to America’s future. A US President can get by without being an economist or a sociologist or an environmental engineer, but he or she better darn well be astute at a very high level in the area of national security. He or she must also have the courage, conviction and good judgment to formulate and implement policies that will ensure America’s position in the world.  The historical record paints a bleak picture for the Democratic Candidate Obama, whose focus on National Healthcare, expanding government bureaucracy and raising taxes, leading the voter to wander if that party has any comprehension or any concern of the geopolitical implications of the US Presidency. As one remembers the Carter and Clinton years looking forward to the upcoming 2008 Presidential Debate on September 26, the image of Ronald Reagan saying to his opponent Jimmy Carter in 1980, “There you go again” comes to mind as John McCain and Barack Obama will take to the podium and lay out their case to the American people.

Sources

Baer, Robert, 2002, See No Evil, New York, Three Rivers Press

Daugherty, William, 2004, Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency, KY, University of Kentucky Press

Gertz, Bill, 2002, China Threat, New York, Regnery

Scheuer, Michael, 2004, Imperial Hubris, Washington DC,Potomac Press

Williams, Paul, 2007, Day of Islam, Amherst NY, Prometheus Books

VP Politics: The “Ardennes Strategy” and the Desperation of the Far Left

You can always tell that a strategy is successful by observing how radical a reaction of the opposition presents. Such is the case with the media frenzy with John McCain’s Vice Presidential pick Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The US national media, which is, by the most conservative numbers, eighty percent in the “tank” for Barack Obama, has elevated their gutter sniping to all time lows by viscously attacking a mother of five who by any sane person’s benchmarks is a great All American story.

The Dems tried the “inexperience maneuver” and realized that the American people would soon arrive at the conclusion that Palin’s governorship was not only the most popular in the country but also that the office of governor itself implies a level of critical daily decision making that is not present in the House of Congress. In other words, being an effective executive administrator is far different than one who spends most of their time running for office, pandering for votes and in reality embraces a few key issues per year. In fact, Governor Palin has more administrative experience than McCain, Obama or Biden. That is what the job of the president is; an executive administrator who delegates authority and makes hundreds of daily decisions. That is why Dwight D. Eisenhower, who ran fifty percent of the total US war effort in Second World War, was probably the most qualified candidate in modern American history. He was a great administrator, period!

The media has leveled personal attacks on just about every member of her family; a prime example which appears in US Magazine, a popular tabloid similar to PEOPLE magazine, which features a picture of Palin with her Down Syndrome newborn named Trig. The title of the tabloid is BABY’S LIES AND SCANDAL and represents the Iconic Symbolism of just how desperate the Far Left is to elect Barack Obama. Sarah Palin has struck a chord with the Republican base and a nerve within the Democratic Left. The Obama-George Soros machine immediately recognized the synergy that the McCain-Palin ticket would have with middle class American voters and realized that they were about to be blown out of the water in September. They decided that they could not fight her on the issues so they have resorted to a series of dirty tricks that have been unprecedented in Vice Presidential politics.

These dirty tricks include (1) mobilizing the media cabal to trash her with as many lies as they could make up as well as distort truthful incidents which have no bearing on her character or the election, (2) stolen her Social Security Number to try to discredit her and force McCain to withdraw her from the ticket and (3) to seek out corrupt Republicans and chauvinistic GOP members who want neither political reform or a woman vice president.

The problem for the far left is that Sarah Palin is to the Democrats what General George S. Patton was to the German Army in World War Two; a juggernaut that has mobilized the troops and running roughshod over the opposition. The Far Left Democrats, like Hitler have launched their own “Ardennes Offensive’ (Battle of the Bulge) as a last gasp to bring the election back into the Obama camp. The Dems, like the Nazi Germans at the beginning, were winning on all fronts feeling that victory was inevitable. Then the unthinkable happened; John McCain proved to be a far more tenacious and clever opponent than anyone expected. Tactical surprises by McCain began to gradually turn the numbers the other way. Then McCain turned the tables by announcing Palin as his VP pick, immediately solidifying the Republican base and reaching out to middle class America.

Tactical surprise became strategic surprise and has elicited a disproportional response from the Far Left. In asymmetrical warfare, these kinds of responses bring about the kind of political collateral damage that will not only further solidify the Republican base but will also cement a significant amount of support from independents, centrists and middle class Americans.  The American people still love the underdog, especially when they are kicked around and beaten by a sadistic bully.

The Dems strategy is to get Palin off the ticket. McCain’s only hope is to stay the course, regroup, straighten out the lines and go back on the offensive. The Dems strategy, similar to the German’s is based on a strict timetable of progressive benchmarks that must be met in the next week and a half, or it could be “lights out”.  Just like the 101^st Airborne Division at Bastogne, surrounded besieged by the German Army, Palin and McCain must weather the attacks until the American people, like the US Cavalry at the last minute storming over the hill, comes to the rescue

The US Magazine cover tells the real story of the tragedy of the relationship between the Left wing Democrats that occupy Congress and the US media; it is where the “rubber meets the road”. What and who does Sarah Palin represent? More than likely it is YOU and me! It is more than likely that it is YOU and me that are represented on the cover of the tabloid that reads: BABYS, LIES AND SCANDAL; those of us who according to Barack Obama, “cling to our guns and our religion”. And it is the cover of that tabloid that symbolically represents what the derision and contempt the elite media, the Far Left, the intellectual elitists and a significant number of Democratic members of Congress feel about YOU and me. Like our Great American hero General George Patton during the Battle of the Bulge, let us rise to the occasion, let’s gather our forces and let the enemy know that their days are numbered by sending a clear message to those who truly represent You and me that help is on the way. Let us go to the ballet box in force this November as Americans and make our voice loud and clear!

James Morris is an educator, analyst and writer finishing a Master’s Thesis on Strategic Intelligence at American Military University. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Social Studies Education from West Virginia University. His column and blog The Strategic Outlook can be found at www.Townhall.com and the NEW MEDIA JOURNAL

The World Will Hold Its Breath

This article discusses the serious, ongoing and quickly evolving crisis between Russia, its bordering neighbors and the United States, and the possible military responses the US and NATO can implement as a containment strategy to stave off future aggression by Russia in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

US Foreign Policy and the Need for a New Containment Strategy in Eastern Europe

Russia’s immediate goals are very clear; political and economic hegemony in Eastern Europe and the Caucuses and preventing the establishment of pro Western democracies along its borders. In other words; Russia wishes regain the former Soviet Republics and create a new Russian Empire by whatever means necessary to accomplish that endeavor. The current rise of Russian Nationalism is more reminiscent of the rise of Nazism in Germany in the early 1930’s, than the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Russia’s current political regime is primarily made up of elements that once comprised the former KGB of the Soviet Union and its replacement; the FSB and SVR, headed by former President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin; himself a former KGB Colonel (1). The KGB was the most powerful, dangerous and ruthless political entity in the history of the modern world (2). Many Western amateur observers during and after the Cold War, inaccurately drew a moral equivalence between the KGB and the CIA; a view that was perpetuated by the American Left and Hollywood. Russia has always been a blunt instrument. When the Kremlin does not get what it wants by standard bullying tactics, they resort to things like assassination, economic warfare, cyber warfare, political subversion and military invasion; like it did in Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968, Afghanistan in 1980, Chechnya in 1994, and Georgia in August 2008. And, this will not be the end of Russia’s ambitions and military incursions in Europe.

Make no mistake about it, if the Georgian government falls under the weight of the Russian Bear, the Ukraine, a nation of over fifty million people, will be next on theshort list of countries to be subjected to SVR and FSB subversion, propaganda and disinformation and threat of Russian military invasion. Putin has played his cards correctly with the Georgian invasion and will continue to exploit his advantages while he can. Bad Vlad has had President George Bush’s number for some time and could expect an even greater return with the possibility of an Obama Presidency in 2009.  The political climate between the West and Russia, have been ripe for Putin’s exploitation. With the US bogged down in the Middle East, Europe bogged down in complacency and energy dependence from Russia, the Kremlin has a perfect opportunity to press its case against its neighbors.

In reality Putin’s actions towards Russia’ neighbors were and have been wholly predictable when one considers the small window of opportunity afforded by Europe and the United States. With Europe already exploring ways to wean themselves from Russian energy and the US drawdown of forces in Iraq in the upcoming months freeing themselves for actions elsewhere around the world, Putin, more than likely, had to act now or never; especially while sitting on over 750 billion in cash reserves (3). If Russian energy were to take a tumble from a change in demand and market prices while Moscow rapidly rebuilds its Army, Navy and Strategic Forces, that surplus could erode fast.  While the strong possibility for an Obama Presidency exists; a prospect that would no doubt delight Putin, a McCain Presidency would on the other hand, be problematic as McCain has been one of the few US politicians that has been very suspicious of Russia and Putin in particular.

John McCain, like Ronald Reagan, has always recognized Vladimir Putin for what he is; a modern day Yuri Andropov. Premier Andropov, a former head of the KGB, died (in 1983) before his ruthless reputation could be implemented long term in Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980’s (4). McCain has always been outspoken regarding Putin and probably no doubt believes that President Bush’s amicable disposition toward Putin in the past was either naïve or misguided. There are whispers and rumors about backdoor dealings last month between Putin, the Saudis and President Bush in regards to a mutual agreement about containing Iran in exchange for Russia’s free hand in Georgia; indicating a “Munich” style sellout. Let us hope this is not an accurate description of what happened for it would send the wrong message to our allies and force them to submit to Russian intimidation.

The Bush Administration’s obsession with the Middle East at the expense of ignoring Russia and China makes John McCain’s stance on foreign policy a key point of separation between himself and the soon to be former President. With McCain’s numbers rising in recent polls, certain governments in Asia are probably nervous, including China, North Korea, Iran and Russia. The last thing the Russians want is a McCain Presidency; so they will act while they still can. Which leads us to the Ukraine; possibly the flashpoint of the next continental conflagration,

Ukraine in 2008, like Poland in 1939, lies on a geopolitical fault line between Russia and the European Union. Ukraine is bordered by four NATO countries and was viciously exploited by Stalin before during and after WWII; resulting in the deaths of millions of its citizens (5). In recent years, Ukraine has made friendly overtures to the West and is politically split on joining NATO. Much of the dissension toward NATO membership has been the result of Russian intimidation and bullying tactics. The Putin government, more specifically the FSB (Federal Security Bureau), was implicated in the poisoning of Ukraine’s democratically elected President Yushchenko in 2004. Ukraine is currently being threatened with being cut off from oil and natural gas this coming winter if their pro Western behavior continues.  Russia is basically saying “We will give you the same as Georgia if you do not fall in line with us”. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

The question is “What can Ukraine and the West do” The answer is simple; make a Russian invasion so terribly expensive in Russian lives, resources and political capital, it would not be worth the cost. Georgia failed, not because it was weaker; and it certainly was or because its people are less brave; they certainly are brave. The reason Georgia lost was because of its lack of preparedness and trying to go toe to toe with the Russian Giant. Neither Georgia nor Ukraine can go head on in a conventional battle plan against Russia.  Georgia neither has the numbers nor the resources to engage the Russian regular army. Georgia can however exact a price on Russia and at the same time preserve their independence and be a bulwark against further Russian expansion in the future. The answer is “Go Unconventional” and start preparing to fight asymmetrical war rather than fighting Western style, which is how the US military trained the Georgians as well as all their other allies. The US does a disservice to its deserving allies like Georgia by selling them second hand military “junk” while providing America’s enemies such as Saudi Arabia and Palestinian Fattah terrorists with up to date military hardware and training.

From a purely military standpoint, Georgia and Ukraine need to take a page from the Chechens and Hezbollah who effectively defeated the Russian and Israeli military respectively and decisively. The Russians have always patterned their military after their Western counter parts in the US, Great Britain etc; heavily dependent on technology and fire power superiority. All the Chechens had in their arsenal was machine guns, land mines, sniper rifles and RPG’s. The deciding factors  in the outcome of the engagement was the Chechens use of  decentralized small unit tactics combined with an urban defense posture which took out 4,800-6,000 Russian soldiers and roughly 150 tanks and armored vehicles in the first 72 hours after the Russian invasion of Groznyy. The Chechens allowed the Russians to have free reign outside the city but engaged them at close range in the urban thickets of Groznyy, where Russian artillery, tanks and air power were not only useless but also a liability (6). The Russian’s could not use their aircraft and artillery to its advantage in the city and their close quarter engagement skills were deficient in many areas and could not meet the challenge.

Hezbollah performed effectively against the Israelis who copy their US counter parts by relying on superior firepower and technology. By utilizing an efficient human intelligence (HUMINT) system, highly mobile independent “true” light infantry units, complimented by an entrenched defensive posture and extensive and elaborate tunnel systems similar to the North Vietnamese at Hue in the 1960’s, Hezbollah inflicted considerable casualties without suffering serious losses to their own ranks(7). Hezbollah also elicited heavy handed responses from the Israelis which resulted in damaging Lebanon’s infrastructure as well as human collateral damage. As a result of this damage, Hezbollah, who started the conflict, gained political popularity in the government as well as enhancing its image to the Lebanese people as well,

In regards to the Chechens, they drew the overconfident Russians into the city where they were ambushed by snipers, machine gun crossfire, and RPG’s launched at ground level from basement windows, roof tops and buildings. Even when the Russian soldiers regrouped from these ambushes, they rarely found the enemy rebels who had evaded direct confrontation and escaped through preplanned routes and relocated ton safe houses nearby (8). The Russians suffered very heavy casualties and had to soon leave the city. Referring to the earlier stated casualty figures, had the United States lost 6000 soldiers in a week under similar conditions, the Commander in Chief on down, would have been impeached for gross negligence and incompetence.

While the Russian government has never had a problem with their military taking on heavy casualties and committing tremendous collateral damage as they did in Chechnya, it would be concerned if they knew that their military would be bogged down in a guerilla infested quagmire and eventually humiliated as they were in Afghanistan. Georgia’s one advantage is that they do have tanks and artillery and some aircraft which can be utilized in a defensive configuration at key strategic locations throughout the country. Utilizing their regular and irregular troops as independent combined action platoons (CAP) equipped with tank killer squads, the Georgians could wreak havoc and heavy casualties among the Russian invaders.

In order to really drive a dagger into the Big Bad Bears heart, Ukraine and Georgia could receive open military aid approved by the US Congress and advisors from the US and NATO, all the while conducting an unconventional war in such a way, the Russians know they can’t win; either on the battlefield or in the court of public opinion. Russia would be politically isolated and militarily ineffective.  It would also behoove the West in preparing the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for unconventional war and bolstering the counterintelligence services in those countries to rid their governments of   spies and influence from the Kremlin. The US Defense Establishment and Intelligence Community has acquired a treasure trove of knowledge and experience in the area of unconventional warfare since 9/11 and could leverage those resources to our Eastern European allies.  Establishing a fast track path to NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine is paramount presenting itself as a “tripwire’ that would automatically enlist a US and probably British military respone; something that even the confident Putin does not want. The Russian Army would not fare well against US conventional forces. The US military would find the Russian’s Western tactics easier to counter and neutralize than the unconventional guerilla type insurgencies found in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Blood, Toil Sweat, Tears and a little Common Sense

These kinds of efforts take a great deal of political courage and resources from the West to implement. The US has placed most of their “eggs” in the Middle East “basket” and has little left for other contingencies. From a conventional military perspective, America has no options; however an unconventional response is not only monetarily practical but also has the best chance for success. The American people don’t mind supporting those who are willing to fight for their freedom, however there will have to be a trade off somewhere along the line, as we cannot afford the tremendous costs of funding Iraq at the current rate. The Georgians and Ukrainians will give a much higher rate of return than those we have supported in the Middle East. It is debatable whether a viable democracy can exist in the Middle East anyway which is primarily due to culture and social practices. Engagement with Iran’s nuclear ambitions has taken front and center on the US geopolitical stage. But if you think the Iranians are bad, try dealing with a confident Russian dictator, flush with nearly three quarter of a trillion petro dollars in surplus cash plus its strategic nuclear capability. The US government will regret not confronting Mother Russia now because she will grow bolder by the month and continue its aggression in Eastern Europe. If the Russians get away with the Georgian occupation, even if they partially vacate later, they will not be content with those gains; Ukraine and possibly Poland, who was recently threatened by Russia with serious military consequences for agreeing to host a US ballistic missile defense system, will be next. It will be 1939 all over again

The real problem lies in the difficulty in getting the Europeans to take any kind of serious economic or military action. Despite the façade of the European Union, the ethnic and political divisions are still there as well as the mass complacency due to the decades of Socialist nanny state economic policies. What can I say; Western Europe is …well…Western Europe. You are not going to get the Germans and the French to fight for the Georgian Slavic peoples; hell they would have a hard enough time getting themselves up to defend Western Europe. I hate to say it but confrontation with Russia is inevitable. The time is past where our prevailing attitude is “Let’s not offend the Russians” The Russian leaders of today, like Joseph Stalin before them and other kindred spirits such as Ho Chi Mihn, Mao Tse Tung, and Adolph Hitler, can sense weakness, appeasement and aversion to confrontation from their enemies, and like sharks attracted to the smell of blood, pursue their prey with ruthless and relentless ferocity. America must once again lead the fight, negotiate from strength and respond quickly and decisively. The best place to start is by helping those such the Georgians and Ukrainians who will help themselves and like our British brethren in the Second World War, provide aid in their “darkest hour’ Paraphrasing a great Englishman Winston Churchill, giving the Ukrainians and Georgians, who are not complacent, the tools and guidance to “finish the job”, might just be the ticket to keeping the Russian Bear in his cage and on his best behavior. Until then, the world will hold its breath.

End Notes

(1) Early, Peter, 2007, Comrade J: The untold secrets of Russia’s master spy in America, New York, Putnam Adult

(2) Andrew, Christopher, 2005, The World was Going Our Way: The KGB and the battle for the Third World, New York, Basic Books,

(3) www.stratfor.com online archive, membership required

(4) Andrew, Christopher, 2005, The World was Going Our Way: The KGB and the battle for the Third World, New York, Basic Books

(5) Encyclopedia Britannica, Reference listing; Ukraine, online archive, accessed 08/20/2008 (member ship required) also see Wikipedia reference on Ukraine

(6) Poole, H. John, 2007, Dragon days: Time for Unconventional Tactics, NC, Posterity Press

(7) Poole, H. John, 2001, Phantom Soldier: The enemies answer to US firepower, NC, Posterity Press

(8) Poole, H. John, 2004, Tactics of the Crescent Moon, NC, Posterity Press

James Morris is finishing a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University and has a Bachelor’s of Arts & Science Degree in History/Social Studies Education from West Virginia University His article’s, touching on a variety of subjects including National security, US Politics and Education, frequently appear in the NEW MEDIA JOURNAL

Putin, Hitler; Bush, Chamberlain; Beijing, Berlin; 2008, 1938: A Rose by Any Other Name

In the case of strategic surprise, it should come as no surprise to those who are watching events unfold on the world stage as we enter the “dog days” of August 2008. Yet somehow we are surprised! Watching the Russian juggernaut storm across the country of Georgia, its Cossacks raping, murdering and pillaging the land and the people in the Caucuses as they have done for centuries, comes as a shock to the 21^st Century “newbie” on the geopolitical scene.

For some reason, the revelation of China going to great lengths to cheat in the Beijing Olympics by parading 12 and 13 year old female gymnasts, well below the 16 year old requirement, illicit disbelief from dedicated sports junkies whose conviction to the principle of fair play lies at the foundation of their core beliefs. As Russia and China both very subtly form a coalition of convenience to jointly engage in activities that diminish US power such as the virulent cyber warfare campaign that is constantly attacking our Pentagon, key strategic assets, private US citizens and US businesses costing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and wasted resources, our own government produces another diplomatic “note” of displeasure. In a previous article "America's Adversaries and the Role of Deception" I stated that practicing the art of deception for Russia, China, North Korea and most Asian countries is like breathing air or drinking water; it is simply second nature and is not viewed as either good or evil but rather a normal function of everyday life (1).

And once again, many Americans believe just as in 1938, that events in a remote part of the world play no part in local American politics; let worry about our own problems first. That is just what the “America first” movement in the late 1930’s and early1940’s felt about engaging against Nazi Germany. After the deaths of over 55,000,000 people and trillions of dollars in expended resources during WWII, the American people swore that they would not let some tin plated dictator pull the wool over their eyes again and would actively engage in crushing ruthless despots “in the cradle”. Since then, the world has seen the rise and fall of a couple dozen genocidal maniacs and brutal regimes who were mainly interested in maintaining power within their own country. Outside of President Ronald Reagan, most US leaders were content to allow crimes against humanity ‘en masse” as long as it did not interfere with US interests. Reagan identified and engaged the Soviet Union for what it really was; an “evil empire”

In 2008, a new instrument of the devil has manifested itself in the Asian Steppe, embodied by a man that represents a new Russian National Socialism that expresses itself with a collective mindset that has not been seen since the rally days of Hitler and Nuremberg. The United States in turn has done itself and its allies including Georgia a great disfavor by not facing the political realities that presented themselves loud and clear for the last eight years, and being ill prepared for what was to be the inevitable. Our inability to prepare allies (as well as ourselves) for the type of conflict they are likely to face, shows that we still have not learned our lesson from other who have similarly engaged; in a word CHECHNYA. The same “Maginot Line” mentality that infected our leaders in 1938 pervades our thinking seventy years later and will continue until a full blown conflagration erupts.

Those eighty year old men and women living in the Czech Republic today must be cringing with the “heebee geebees” as they watch the events in Georgia. They know hat it is like to have their unprepared Western allies leave them in the lurch only to be run roughshod by a ruthless, heartless enemy. History is truly repeating itself, with so many parallels; it boggles the creative imagination of novelists and futurists everywhere. Jesse Owens and Michael Phelps, Berlin and Beijing, Imperial Japan and Neo Imperialist China, Hitler and Putin, complacent Western Europe and ….well…complacent Western Europe. As they say, some things never change!

The last analogous comparison is however the most frightening; Poland and the Ukraine. It was the invasion of Poland that set the world on fire in 1939 and it is Ukraine, a country of 50 million that desperately wants a final annulment from Mother Russia. Ukraine was brutalized not only by the Nazis (who the Ukrainians saw as liberators at first) in WWII but also by Stalin after the war was over. If Russia gets away unscathed in Georgia, he will swallow Ukraine as well; that you can bet on.

Ukraine borders four NATO countries. Should Russia invade Ukraine and they will if they get away with the Georgian fiasco, it’s just a matter of “when”, then NATO will have to act militarily with US backing. Once again, the world will be set ablaze. The next President of the United States will have to be able to see the world as it is and not as he wants to see it and no amount of platitudes or “empty” dialogue will change that. Dialogue, diplomacy and appeasement; a rose by any other name

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition: A Victory for the Second Amendment

The recent 5-4 decision by the US Supreme Court, giving citizens in the District of Columbia the right to own a handgun will set a precedent for all states in the future. Detractors of this decision, including its disapproval by FBI Director Robert Mueller lament this as planting the seeds for violent crime in the near future.

Well I have news for those naysayers; we already have more violent crime than should be tolerated in this country. Director Mueller even said that this act could result as “incubators of terrorism” on our college campuses (10. What the heck is that supposed to mean? If he’s so worried about campus terrorists wreaking havoc at the student unions, then maybe they should turn their attention towards the preaching of radical left wing professors that poison and indoctrinate our politically naïve college age youth with Third World revolutionary politics. Such was the case of former University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill and other left wing loons that hold college teaching positions around the country, who say that 9/11 was an inside job and that America is the source of all that is bad.

The parents of these kids, who spend tens of thousands of dollars of their hard earned money, only to end up with a 22 year old who can not think independently, who questions their faith while failing to question the atheistic rants of an academic demagogue and becoming imbued with a loss of national identity and patriotism. Yeah, I don’t want to put a gun in their hands either. However, I do not think you have to worry about a 21 year old church going, National Rifle Association member going out on a three state shooting spree. In fact, I have one of those living next door and I am darn glad he’s there. He’s actually 30 years old, has a wife and two children and is a former Marine, but you get my point.

I live in a semi rural neighbor hood in South Florida where there is every kind of wacko character and criminal element you can imagine. My wife and I are blessed to have been flanked by three God fearing blue blooded American families who look out for each other. Fortunately the State of Florida also has a generous castle and home protection laws that allow home owners to adequately protect their homes from predators (2).

A couple of weeks ago, someone in a seriously altered state, pounded loudly on our front door at 1am in the morning, demanding to come in. It startled me to say the least. Realizing right away that it was not one of my neighbors and that this person was not in some state of distress, I made it clear in no uncertain terms that it was in their interest to leave the property immediately. I later called the police who later conferred with me regarding this individual who had done similar acts on a half dozen houses that night. I also called my neighbors (who also called the police) immediately after the person left. The police officer whom I spoke to was in full support my intention to protect my family by whatever means necessary to perform that function. The fact was that I was ready to employ my Glock 10 millimeter, should the said perpetrator forcefully breach the outer constructs of my home did not alarm the officer at all..

 Every police officer I have talked to has fully supported a home owner’s responsible use of firearms. While the emotional baggage that would probably come from the employment of deadly force might be difficult to live with, I will protect my family first and deal with the baggage later. Home invaders are becoming far more bold, daring and desperate, often murdering their victims for whatever twisted reason. Some of the more sophisticated ones are even wearing body armor in anticipating an armed home owner which is why I tell my friends to become familiar and receive training in the use of firearms that can pack a considerable punch such as shotguns and larger caliber handguns. Many police and sheriff’s departments around the country offer free classes in basic and combat handgun training and tactics.

Does that mean everyone should own a firearm? Of course not! If a person is a maniac or mentally unstable, or too young without adult supervision or if a person has not sought and acquired proper training and acquaintance with the law, a criminal record and any other number of good reasons, whatever they may be; then they should not be able to acquire one. That is why there is nothing wrong with background checks to weed out the bad guys.

Some people are terrified of guns and that is understandable however, a predator is more likely to strike if they think the victim is not armed, which makes this argument in my opinion a settled issue. One only has to review the history of the Old West to find out that private gun ownership was the only way a law abiding person could protect themselves from all of the predatory elements that one was sure to encounter along the journey. The end results are that violent crime decreases when gun laws favor sensible law abiding citizens (3).

And, besides everything else, private gun ownership is in the Bill of Rights! Who am I to argue with the Founding Fathers? The day the Federal Government repeals the Second Amendment, that is the day we move back to back to the hills of my native West Virginia where the State Motto is “Montani Semper Liberi”; (Mountaineers are always free!). Long live the Second Amendment!

Footnotes

1. Washington Post, June 30, 2008, “FBI chief: Gun Ruling makes campuses less secure”, Associated Press

2. Korwin, Alan, 2005, “Florida Castle Doctrine Protects the Innocent”, Bloomfield Press, online article

3. Lott, John Jr., 1998, “More Guns, Less Crime” (Interview), American Enterprise Institute, online archive

The Strategic Outlook: China’s End Around

Since the fall of the former Soviet Union, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has filled the gap as the world’s second superpower challenging US power and influence in the world. Unlike the former Soviet Union however, China has refused to engage the West toe to toe in a logistical struggle based on a military industrial complex fed by a true free market and whose benchmarks are measured in qualitative and advanced technological terms. In other words, China unlike the former Soviet Union, will not attempt to fight the US on its own terms, rather it will engage in a form of “unrestricted” warfare that has no rules and one that China has been familiar with for three thousand years.

Observers and pundits in the US may dispute the idea of China at present having attained true superpower status, claiming it to be a possibility in the near future. However, this observation is probably viewed from an entirely Western lens; one that measures success by how many high tech jet fighters, tanks, ICBM’s and aircraft carriers one has. The perspective Westerners often incorporate when engaging the East and China in particular, comes from a “top down” or big picture approach. The Chinese, North Koreans, Vietnamese etc., however are “bottom up” or small picture thinkers; that is not a bad thing, just imagine the builders of the Giza Pyramid or the Great Wall of China. In the case of the 4,600 year old Pyramid of Giza, most modern western engineers concede that this feat could not be replicated today.Most Americans are taught when growing up that people are “basically the same all over the world”. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth and usually results in holding non westerners to the same standards that we are accustomed to. Again, this is not a qualitative assessment but rather a recognition of differences Applying one’s own values to non western cultures is often referred to as “mirror imaging” and is one of the most common mistakes Western analysts make when conducting regional threat assessments. Misperceptions lead to poor analysis.

China has so far been very successful in countering Western influence in the Far East and has won the propaganda war in the court of public opinion. Proxy dictatorships such as North Korea, North Vietnam, Burma, and Cambodia rely on China in order to survive and have firmly established Communist or Marxist rule, shutting out the West. This is clearly evidenced by the inability to hold on to North Korea in 1950, the loss of South Vietnam in 1975, Britain and Portugal’s loss of Hong Kong and Macao respectfully, the US refusal to provide overt assistance and recognition Tibet and Taiwan, even though they would like to. The most recent frustration the United States has encountered in the Far East related to the inability to provide USAID and help to the hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims in Burma due to the brutal military junta that is currently in power.

This alliance of Asian Communist nations have combined to brutally murder many tens of millions of their own countrymen since the late 1940’s, and ruthlessly repressed any element that swayed from the Party line. Today hundreds of thousands of their own people, even by the most conservative of estimates in China, North Korea and Burma, rot in gulags and are subjected to torture, forced labor and privation by the military and secret police (1). Even Hitler and Stalin could not muster these kinds of numbers at home. China is currently engaging in a massive espionage and cyber warfare program against the US that would have made the most hardcore Cold War Soviet KGB Director blush with envy. By some accounts, China has over 100,000 spies at various levels in the US reporting to handlers in what is referred to in the intelligence business as the “vacuum cleaner approach” to espionage.

China has also supported Pakistan’s and Iran’s development of nuclear weapons and the acquisition of advanced ballistic missile technology. China’s key proxy, North Korea has provided resources, training and personnel to Syria in assistance to the proliferation of WMD and missile technology (2). China has secretly trained, equipped and funded al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan before and after 9/11. On the African continent, China provides training, weaponry and resources to the brutal dictatorships in Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe In South America, China provides active support to the Marxist regimes of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Argentina and Ecuador; establishing economic and military outposts as well as port facilities run by Hutchinson and Whampoa Limited (a Peoples Liberation Army front company operation) in Latin America and the Bahamas.

Clearly, this kind of relationship vis a vis the US and Communist China would have never transpired during the Cold War. Despite all this egregious behavior toward the West and having the worst record on human rights in world history, China has managed to host the 2008 Olympics, engage in one of the most lopsided trading relationships in history, lure trillions of dollars in Western business investments (most from the US) and get a free pass from the US Government as well as Western European countries like Great Britain, France and Germany on key issues such as the proliferation of WMD, nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology and terrorist support.

This unbalanced relationship between East and West has occurred because of three basic reasons; narcissism and greed, hubris, and ignorance. The lure of cheap goods and consumables, the infiltration of our government at the highest levels by Chinese spies, the computer hacking of our nations defense systems from mainland China, the buying off of notable DC Beltway veterans by Chinese lobbyists, China’s military, political and economic entrenchment in Latin America and the importation of illegal narcotics from the Far East through Mexico by Chinese criminal cartels have all served to undermine and diminish the social, political and economic fabric of the United States (3).

These actions and strategies by China are all a part of their policy of Unrestricted Warfare also known as Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) in the West. Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) is a comprehensive and holistic strategy, attacking a nation’s social, political, economic and cultural fabric rather than engage in classic military warfare (4). It involves the use of lies, propaganda and disinformation fueled by the media and the internet towards government policies as well as methods of insurgency, terrorism, infiltration, espionage and political subversion. China’s warfare strategy can be summed up in the famous works of Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, The Art of War during the Fifth Century BC. Another document dated around 200 BC titled the Thirty Six Stratagems (of Chinese Warfare) is a handbook on the art of deception, which Sun Tzu states, “Deception is the Tao of warfare” (5).

Most of the concepts of unrestricted warfare center on defeating a nation from within without ever firing a shot. The principles illustrated in these ancient documents have proven to be effective in the twentieth century by those who have implemented them such as Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh and the terrorist organization Hezbollah, who for all intents and purposes run the government of Lebanon after only a few years of political infiltration and terrorist intimidation.

Explaining the dynamics of successful 4GW can be best illustrated by the analogy of the “boiling frog” scenario. In this case a frog is placed in a seemingly non threatening environment such as a short lipped saucer plate filled with cool water. Unbeknownst to the frog, the saucer is located under a electric stove coil. The frog can easily jump from the saucer of water any time it feels the need. When the heating coil is activated, the temperature is increased one degree per minute giving the frog time to acclimate to the temperature. Once the temperature reaches a certain level, it is clear to those on the outside that the frog is in danger but the frog still operating in his comfort zone does not recognize it. The temperature continues to increase gradually until the frog is literally boiled alive without the slightest protest.

Great civilizations and empires fall in much the same way and it is obvious that the Chinese understand this concept well and have been focusing their efforts to defeat the United States in the same manner. As incredulous as this may sound to some, it is not all that far fetched when one examines how Americans are “hard wired” today. The Age of Affluence in the 1960’s and 1970’s has transformed American society into a state of complacency by the 1990’s and 2000’s and its citizenry has exhibited a serious lack of national identity.

Another strategic weakness America exhibits are its politicians and their media enablers who operate in two, four and six year cycles and when not engaged in politics they are living the good life from of well funded lobbyists and raking in cash on the speaker circuit. There is nothing wrong with engaging in that kind of endeavor because it represents the free market However, the short cyclical nature exhibited by our politicians defines the limits of our national vision while the Chinese think in terms of decades and even centuries in order to implement a successful political strategy.

China’s current policy toward the US centers on strategic three focal points: (A) develop political and economic hegemony in Latin America and the Caribbean, securing control of ports of entry and exporting Marxist revolutions to these politically unstable countries, assuring an anti American coalition to the south and facilitating the importation of illegal narcotics into the US further undermining our country’s cultural and political foundation. (B) Inject economic capital in key areas in East Africa; undermine those governments friendly to the West, supporting dictatorships friendly to the East, and extracting valuable natural resources at the lowest possible cost. (C) To develop a line of proxy nations and allies in the Middle East including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria and developing overland oil pipelines from these countries into China. Accomplishing these goals would make it rather easy to later diminish US influence in the Pacific and the Far East, leaving Taiwan, South Korea and Japan at China’s mercy (6).

China has successfully played into America’s core weaknesses and like the frog in the saucer full of water, the US scarcely realizes the inherent danger of ignorance, hubris and narcissism. The only way traditional America will survive the first half of the twentieth century is to attack external threats by recognizing the internal struggles that continue to eat away at our political, social, economic, and uniquely American cultural fabric. The break down of the traditional American family, the growing absence of spirituality in American life, a continual erosion of our national identity, bitter political divisiveness and corruption in US politics, and the astronomical amount of debt accumulated by both the US Government and its citizenry has placed America in a very vulnerable position and at the mercy of our enemies. Only by recognizing these bitter facts, engage in an endeavor course correct and the willingness to see it through, can we pursue a united course of action that will put America back in her rightful place as a Nation of Nations and the world's best last hope.

Footnotes

1. Margolin, Jean Louis, 1999, Agence France Presse, Twentieth Century Atlas; Death Tolls; also Gertz, China Threat : The death tolls from China’s draconian policies from 1946 to the present day range from 45-78 million. These are conservative estimates from a much respected European source that is known for its objectivity in assessing China’s policies.

2. Gertz, Treachery

3. Poole, 2008, Dragon Days; John Poole’s books should be required reading for all those who wish to defeat the global insurgency. He is one of the very few observers who have a real handle on the true nature of the enemy and a clear plan for a winning strategy.

4. Liang, 2004, Unrestricted Warfare; This treatise, originally written in 1999 and translated by the CIA, explicitly mentions bombing the World Trade Center and the possibility of “a bombing attack by (Osama) bin Laden”, whose name by the way, is mentioned over twenty times in the text. It is odd that in bin Laden last recording, he adamantly makes the claim that it was al Qaeda alone that committed the 9/11 attacks (like we didn’t already know). Perhaps he was trying to quell any doubts that there might have been complicity by a budding national superpower (China) that might be providing resources and strategic guidance in its war against America..

5. Poole, 2005, Militant Tricks; This book outlines how the Islamic Militants use the Chinese Thirty Six Stratagems in Iraq and Afghanistan and shows to defeat them

6. Poole, 2007, Dragon Days

Bibliography

Gertz, Bill, 2004, Treachery, How America’s Friends and Foes are Secretly Arming Our Enemies, New York, Crown Forum

Gertz, Bill, 2000, The China Threat, New York, Crown Forum

Liang, Qiao (Colonel) and Xiangsui, Wang (Colonel), Peoples Liberation Army (China), 2004, Unrestricted Warfare: China’s Master Plan to Destroy America, translated from original Chinese documents, NewsMax Media Inc., online document

Morris, James, April 19, 2008, “Nation of Nations”, www.NewMediaJournal.us.com, online archive

Poole, H. John, 2007, Dragon days: Time for Unconventional Tactics, NC, Posterity Press

Poole, H. John, 2005, Militant Tricks: Battlefield Ruses of the Islamic Militant, NC, Posterity Press