Conservatives and liberals have reacted much differently to the Navy SEAL’s operation that killed Osama bin Laden. On the right there was pride in the capabilities, precision and bravery of an elite commando team. There were no illusions that victory had been achieved over international terrorism and islamist fanaticism. But there was a feeling of satisfaction, if not relief, that retributive justice was finally delivered to a heinous mass murderer. There was hope that this could be a turning point in a protracted and continuing war, along with renewed resolve that we persevere for as long as it takes.
On the left, there was no celebration. The liberal penchant for guilt was indulged with hand-wringing about a lack of due process in what may have been a planned “kill mission.” (So what? We are at war!) Abstract moralizers lamented the tragedy of any human life being taken. But even more revealing of the leftist mindset and their detachment from the real world was their indignation over continuing security precautions, which they regard as an affront to civil rights.
They fretted that bin Laden’s death might cause the Patriot Act to be continued, that the CIA and the FBI would still be allowed to conspire together (i.e., share information to thwart terrorist plots); that Gitmo would remain open; that the Transportation Security Administration would continue to inconvenience air travelers; that terrorist phone calls would be monitored without warrants (but with court approval under the Foreign Intelligence Act,); that captured terrorists might be subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques; that American troops will remain abroad, and so on.
These things are all true for the simple reason that we are still at war with suicidal fanatics who are intent on randomly killing innocent American civilians.
I think it is high time that we, Americans, quit being so guilt ridden with the fact that we need to protect ourselves and the ones we love. Let’s end this war on terror with a victory!
This blog post was largely excerpted from the Denver Post 2 June 2011, page 11B. It was part of an editorial written by Mike Rosen.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
How To Fund The Welfare State
On 5/30/11, I posted a blog on how America needs to fund defense spending in favor of spending more money on entitlements. Today, I want to mention more about the severity of our national financial problem.
America now has a debt burden of $14 trillion. $4 trillion more than just 2 years ago. In 2008, the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product was 40%. Today it is 68%! Unless we make hard decisions now, in less than a decade every dollar of federal revenue will go to covering the costs of Medicare, Social Security, and interest payments on our debt. We will sink even deeper in debt to pay for everything else, from national security to disaster relief. Our country will fall behind the productivity of other countries. Our currency will be debased, and our influence in the world will wane. Our security will be more precarious.
In order to resurrect this failing state, we need new leadership, leadership that will not be afraid to institute programs to reduce, reform, and in some cases end government programs—include some popular but unaffordable subsidies for agriculture and energy. We need leadership that will cut this wild spending on Medicare and accept the fact that we can no longer fund Social Security our of a “trust fund” that has no money in it (And it never has—all the Social Security “trust fund” has ever had in it has been a bunch of IOU’s from the Federal Government.)
We need to pursue free trade agreements with other countries, just as other countries now do. 95% of the world’s customers live outside the U.S. We will not remain the most productive economy in the world if we embrace the mistaken belief that we can prosper by selling and buying only among ourselves, while the other countries seize the opportunity for economic growth that the global economy offers.
Let’s do something about this deplorable financial situation now—before it is too late!
This blog post was largely excerpted from the Wall Street Journal 6/1/11, page A19.
America now has a debt burden of $14 trillion. $4 trillion more than just 2 years ago. In 2008, the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product was 40%. Today it is 68%! Unless we make hard decisions now, in less than a decade every dollar of federal revenue will go to covering the costs of Medicare, Social Security, and interest payments on our debt. We will sink even deeper in debt to pay for everything else, from national security to disaster relief. Our country will fall behind the productivity of other countries. Our currency will be debased, and our influence in the world will wane. Our security will be more precarious.
In order to resurrect this failing state, we need new leadership, leadership that will not be afraid to institute programs to reduce, reform, and in some cases end government programs—include some popular but unaffordable subsidies for agriculture and energy. We need leadership that will cut this wild spending on Medicare and accept the fact that we can no longer fund Social Security our of a “trust fund” that has no money in it (And it never has—all the Social Security “trust fund” has ever had in it has been a bunch of IOU’s from the Federal Government.)
We need to pursue free trade agreements with other countries, just as other countries now do. 95% of the world’s customers live outside the U.S. We will not remain the most productive economy in the world if we embrace the mistaken belief that we can prosper by selling and buying only among ourselves, while the other countries seize the opportunity for economic growth that the global economy offers.
Let’s do something about this deplorable financial situation now—before it is too late!
This blog post was largely excerpted from the Wall Street Journal 6/1/11, page A19.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Will It Be Welfare or Defense for America?
Robert Gates is retiring from the office of Secretary of Defense after serving 2 years under President G.W. Bush and 2 years under President Obama. He has made several farewell speeches laying out his opinions about the U.S.’s ability to fund both defense and the welfare state. He has warned against cuts to weapon programs and troop levels that would make America vulnerable in “a complex and unpredictable security environment.”
This year, America is spending 4.5% of our gross domestic product (GDP) on defense when the cost of the Iraq and Afghan wars are included. On the other hand, we spent 9.8% of GDP last year on entitlement spending (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security).
If the United States were to cut our defense spending by 10%, which would absolutely gut the Defense Department budget, the cost savings would be only $55 billion. With a budget deficit this year of $1.4 trillion, that saving would not even make a dent in our fiscal problem of over-reaching debt. The financial problem we have is not over the Afghan/Iraqi war or even general spending on defense, it is obviously entitlement spending!
The Obama Administration has cut and slashed our defense budget in the last 2 years. The money for the F-22 fighter has been stopped and several promising missile defense programs have been discontinued. All this in a world where foreign powers are building up missile and nuclear war capability. I think we are going to be sorry for these administrative decisions.
There is something wrong with our democratic system of government. We send our politicians to Washington with instructions to “bring home the bacon,” in the form of entitlement, welfare, benefits for our short-term enjoyment. But when the pig is dead, there is no more bacon to bring home.
America’s global power begins at home with a strong economy able to generate wealth. The push for defense cuts reflects the weak recovery from recession and a national debt that has doubled in the last 2 years. The Obama Administration has made conscious decisions to squeeze defense while pouring money on everything else.
I think we should get back on the right track of funding defense instead of trying to fund and maintain a faulty and expensive health care bill and support an indefensible Medicare entitlement program.
This blog post was partly excerpted from the Wall Street Journal 5/28/11, pages A14 and A15.
This year, America is spending 4.5% of our gross domestic product (GDP) on defense when the cost of the Iraq and Afghan wars are included. On the other hand, we spent 9.8% of GDP last year on entitlement spending (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security).
If the United States were to cut our defense spending by 10%, which would absolutely gut the Defense Department budget, the cost savings would be only $55 billion. With a budget deficit this year of $1.4 trillion, that saving would not even make a dent in our fiscal problem of over-reaching debt. The financial problem we have is not over the Afghan/Iraqi war or even general spending on defense, it is obviously entitlement spending!
The Obama Administration has cut and slashed our defense budget in the last 2 years. The money for the F-22 fighter has been stopped and several promising missile defense programs have been discontinued. All this in a world where foreign powers are building up missile and nuclear war capability. I think we are going to be sorry for these administrative decisions.
There is something wrong with our democratic system of government. We send our politicians to Washington with instructions to “bring home the bacon,” in the form of entitlement, welfare, benefits for our short-term enjoyment. But when the pig is dead, there is no more bacon to bring home.
America’s global power begins at home with a strong economy able to generate wealth. The push for defense cuts reflects the weak recovery from recession and a national debt that has doubled in the last 2 years. The Obama Administration has made conscious decisions to squeeze defense while pouring money on everything else.
I think we should get back on the right track of funding defense instead of trying to fund and maintain a faulty and expensive health care bill and support an indefensible Medicare entitlement program.
This blog post was partly excerpted from the Wall Street Journal 5/28/11, pages A14 and A15.
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