Ho
meland and National Security Not A High Priority
For most of his first year in office, the single most spoken of priority in the Obama administration was the overhaul of the nations healthcare system. Healthcare took the forefront over anything to do with national security. Security took a backseat to domestic issues, with the phrase "overseas contingency operations" being coined to replace the term war on terror. This phrase took the domestic nature of the problem out of the equation. In fact, during this year it seemed as security issues were backburnered so as to not turn off those in Congress whose votes on healthcare were critical. The many month delay in coming to a decision on the troop surge in Afghanistan comes to mind.
Last night the President said that jobs creation was the number one priority in the upcoming year. He will use this as a replacement for healthcare as that legislation appears to be DOA. The fact of the matter is that while jobs are a critical domestic issue, national security is really the most critical job that the President has. Without securing our nation internally and externally from those who would like to destroy us and our way of life, jobs will be nothing but a footnote.
Domestic Issues versus Security Issues
Should he spend time on the economy? Of course. But he should also have more in his quiver regarding security than empty rhetoric. He is viewed as nothing but an empty suit by both our so-called allies such as Russia and China, and nothing but a mouthpiece for the anemic and useless United Nations to which he has ceded our security policies by our enemies. Not only has Iran violated the Presidents December 31st deadline to agree with the United Nations plan for uranium enrichment, but they have issued plans of their own. What are the ramifications of this violation? More empty rhetoric.
The President said in his speech that Iran would face “growing consequences” if they continue to ignore calls for limitations on their nuclear program. What does that mean? Like a parent making idle threats to their children, this statement by the President is unfortunately laughable.
Terrorists being read their Miranda rights? Being tried in criminal court as if they murdered their next door neighbor who was having an affair with his wife? Not being tried as members of a terrorist organization who executed a plan to fly two jets in buildings killing thousands of innocent men and women? Not as enemy combatants which is exactly what they are? Not in a military tribunal? Holding a trial in the heart of one of the most dense cities in the world? With a cost for security that will be measured in the millions? This must be some kind of a bad joke. Unfortunately, it is our current reality.
The President says that if we prosecute the war on terror along the same lines as our enemies do, then we are in reality no better than they are. This kind of thinking is inane, and is used for political means as a method of appeasing the liberal left wing of the Democrat party. If your enemy is trying to kill you, then you do whatever you can to get information out of captured soldiers. If waterboarding works, then use it. If pulling out fingernails works, do that too. A dog barking in their faces? Womens underwear dangled in front of them? Whatever it takes!
What you do not do is read them their rights, effectively removing any potential to get actionable intelligence out of them. That is criminal.
The question of avoiding distasteful interrogation techniques is nothing more than an intellectual argument that is put forth by the ACLU and other groups like them. You can bet that if members of their families were at risk, and a captive might have information that would save them, they would advocate using any means necessary to get that information. It is time to come out of the Ivory Tower and into the world of reality.
The bottom line is this. Although only nine minutes were spent on securing our nation, President Obama still has the opportunity to become the type of leader we need. After all, he is only one year into a four year term. He needs to lead so that other countries may not like him. He needs to lead so that other countries, and particularly our enemies fear him and the words that he utters. He needs to do whatever it takes to keep America, our interests and our allies safe. The failed bombing over Detroit and the recent arrests of suspected domestic terrorists makes that necessity crystal clear.
I understand that what began as a discussion of the State of the Union Address digressed to a certain degree into more of a discussion of national security, but that is what frustration can do.
No more empty rhetoric! It is time for homeland security rhetoric that is not just made up of words. It needs to be tough, believed, actionable and implementable. And then it needs to be done.
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