Never has our country had more enemies and been in more danger, and never have the American People been more complacent. It may be accurate to say also that never before have we had more incompetent people in leadership positions at the national level. Finally, not since before World War II have we intentionally planned to disarm to dangerous levels. That all adds up to “living dangerously.”
We have all heard the cliché: “Ignorance is bliss.” Ignorance is also dangerous. I’m afraid more Americans are ignorant than in any period during my lifetime. That is one reason why they are complacent. You don’t worry about what you don’t know about.
For three years during the Johnson Administration, I was in an assignment involving command and control of nuclear weapons in the Pacific Command. There was no discussion of work outside the organization due to security measures. I recall a discussion with one of my colleagues when we agreed we would sleep better at night if we didn’t know some of the things we were allowed to access.
One of the disturbing things I learned from that experience was that the Johnson Administration sometimes lied to the American people. I understand the necessity to sometimes lie in order to confuse the enemy. It does not confuse the enemy; however, to lie about facts the enemy already knows. That is only lying to and misleading the American people. Nixon lied to protect people he thought were patriots. In fact they were traitors who betrayed him. Carter lied because he was not very smart and also a progressive socialist. Clinton lied to cover up sexual escapades. The current President lies because it is his nature and expedient to do so.
We have pulled our combat forces out of Iraq, and our enemies are taking over that nation that was freed by American blood. We are pulling troops out of Afghanistan, but leaving a contingency there to be targets for our enemies. We have participated in the overthrow of governments in both Egypt and Libya. Both nations are in turmoil and near civil war.
With foreign policy incompetence rampant in Washington, D. C., and Barack Obama seen by foreign leaders as a clown and paper tiger, Vladimir Putin is rattling sabers and invading his neighbors to reconstruct the old Soviet Republic that Ronald Reagan destroyed.
President Obama is trying to scare Russia’s Putin and assure Poland of our backing in the face of possible Russian attacks by sending 150 troops to Poland for two weeks. Can’t you see the Russians laughing at that and slapping their knees? What a joke!
While President Obama is displaying cowardice in foreign affairs, he is boldly and recklessly using the power of federal agencies to terrorize and intimidate Americans that disagree with his policies.
Dealing with Communist and Islamic Tyrants, President Obama seems to be taking a page from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR once said about Russian leader Joseph Stalin: “I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask nothing from him in return he won’t try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace.” As we now know, Stalin snatched up all of Eastern Europe and the Balkans while Roosevelt watched with continued hope. Aldous Huxley said: “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”
On that subject, Confucius said: “Study the past if you would define the future.”
Long ago Cicero proclaimed: “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.”
While playing the role of coward in our relations with rogue nations, our government is ever the schoolyard bully in dealing with individual American citizens and citizen groups.
In Nevada, a criminal enterprise, allegedly headed by the family of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stole cattle and assaulted family members of Clive Bundy. Until the Bureau of Land Management returned the cattle and withdrew their heavily armed troops, the situation in Nevada was very dangerous. Militia members from across the country had arrived on the scene and it was an armed standoff. There are predictions that the BLM may attempt a Bin Laden type raid to capture Mr. Bundy. That could lead to bloodshed and even Martial Law.
We are living dangerously.