Original art by Mark Valentine
If we shot a picture of the world from the heart of America six weeks into the new year, it would seem like an unlikely scene from a bad movie…
In the foreground, the election process is in full swing. The Republicans have the usual governors, a young Cuban senator, a black brain surgeon, a female former head of a Fortune 500 company and an unfiltered, self-funded billionaire.
The Democrats have a grandma who would already be in jail if she wasn’t so well connected and an aging Socialist. The electorate is so unhappy with the government that the bellicose billionaire and the angry, old Socialist are trouncing the more mainstream candidates.
President Obama has just signed a nuclear treaty with Iran, a nation that was founded on the concept of “Death To America” that now has a path to a nuclear weapon. The President says it is a good deal although most generals and intelligence officers disagree.
And right before Obama releases over 100 billion dollars to Iran, Iran fires a ballistic missile to signal that they can reach the USA with a bomb. Right after he releases the money to Iran, they capture an American Navy vessel, film the sailors and use the footage as propaganda. And in an odd plot twist, The US Secretary of State thanks Iran for their actions.
And like an over the top Batman movie, there needs to be multiple villains.
North Korea detonates a nuclear device. Everyone decides it wasn’t a really big one and ridicules the little dictator for the size of his bomb. He then steps up his game and launches a ballistic missile on the morning of the Super Bowl. The North Koreans put something into orbit over the stadium. Initially everyone is fairly relaxed because it is only North Korea after all. Then it sinks in that the missile came from Iran. The two villains just signaled that together they have a bomb and a missile system.
Now cut to the President as he scolds the Republicans for being too divisive.
As the next layer of the picture comes into focus, we see the heads of all the security agencies testifying before Congress. Violent extremists are active in about 40 countries and there currently exist more terrorist safe havens “than at any time in history.”
The extremists are “using the refugee exodus from violence in Iraq and Syria to hide among innocent civilians in order to reach other countries.” The security heads go on to say it is much more likely now for our enemies to use detained American citizens as “bargaining pieces to achieve financial or political concessions.”
However the picture has even more layers.
Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper points out that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “the first leader since Stalin to expand Russia’s territory.” Clapper also raises cybersecurity as a major concern, saying, “China continues cyberespionage against the United States,” and warning that non-state actors like ISIS are developing a cyber capability.”
Which brings us full circle to the election process…
Which candidate can bring a happy ending to the picture that is on the screen?
Great article, but there is no way, we have ANY vital interests in the Ukraine or in those stupid little islands in the Pacific that the Chinese and Japanese are arguing over. South Korea has an economy 40 times the size of North Korea, yet we still have troops there. We have no vital interests in the Mid East anymore by way of fracking and the evils of Capitalism. We don’t need troops in Germany. The Republican candidates assurances that they will confront the Russian Bear is insane (Trump is the only one who says he can get along with Putin.).
All over the world, the threat of Islamic Terror is and should be of paramount importance, superseding all other concerns. Who better to help us crush 3rd World Stone Age Cultists than the Russians. Our foreign policy with respect to the Russians has been counterproductive, pernicious and flat out stupid for the last 25 years. The “Reset” of our Foreign Policy with regard to Russia was a failure. What really needs to happen, is a “Reset” of the money we spend on Defense, how and where it is spent while acknowledging that our allies have not been in the past, are not now and will NEVER be perfect. Our inability to prioritize with regard to money spent in Defense and resources allocated for Defense is a failure we live with everyday as we watch the international news. Politics triumphs over common sense as a self inflicted long term necrosis in the form of Muslim immigration continues.
Here comes the next attack. Will it be the Water Supply? Will it be a Chemical Attack? Will there be a bomb of some type smuggled in through our porous Sothern border? It’s coming. You know it, I know it and so do the politicians who seek the influx of those who hate us, in order to acquire votes on the left and cheap labor on the right.
Maybe you and your family will be the next “Soft Target” in the war on America, from our enemies abroad and here at home.
It’s coming.
Angela Merkel, who shoulders the mantle of responsibility every bit as Ephialtes himself, meets here with George Clooney and his wife, as you will when you are seeking good counsel. Merkel’s province, Germany and the protection of same, is no doubt enhanced by earnest and solemn conversations with the star of “O Brother Where Art Thou?”
O Brother indeed.
The German “Quisling”, charged with the protection of her nation and culture is breaking bread with Movie Stars while Europe slides into short and long term chaos.
http://www.people.com/article/george-amal-clooney-meet-with-german-chancellor
They look really serious and that is important.
Coming down on Merkel for meeting with the Clooney’s is overlooking Amal Alamuddin’s resume. Long before she married Clooney she had a highly respected career in international law and migration issues and in those circles she is far better known than the Hollywood star. She has previously worked at the United Nations and for British Prime Minister David Cameron and Ukrainian Prime Minister Tymoshenko among others. She brought some serious street cred to that meeting and I’m confident Merkel gained insight.
Beyond that I really don’t disagree much with what you wrote. While we may not necessarily agree on the alternatives, I think you are correct to a great degree with respect to how we currently prioritize resources and focus in our Defense policy.
With regard to Germany specifically and Europe in general, they do face some tough issues. In an increasingly scary world where we are wise to be suspicious of China, North Korea, Russia, Middle Eastern dictatorships, and certainly Islamic terrorists among others, we don’t have a lot of other players we can trust as allies. We do need to try to leverage China to control North Korea and Russia to join us and protect their own exposure to Islamic terrorism but let’s not be too antagonistic towards Germany and the rest of Europe.
Good comments Chuck.
I am not antagonistic towards Germany and Europe, in fact, I sympathize with the intolerable situation Merkel and other “Leaders” have foisted upon their citizens.
My apologies to Mrs. Clooney.
The fly on the wall, told me George dominated the conversation when he should have kept his mouth shut and deferred to his wife.
🙂
Hmmm…all minor stuff, most of which is ‘easily’ defendable, either politically or ‘in the trenches’.
If you want to get realistic about an actual threat, research EMP: one ICBM nuclear burst 100 miles above Kansas would put paid to America as we know it for a long time, perhaps forever. And, yes, both political parties have received multiple warnings of the dangers, as have multiple White House administrations. Yet very little has been done to prevent/prepare for such an event.
+1
I left that out.
Thanks Mark, that was an interesting patchwork. The contest has two young senators with Cuban parents. Which one are you referring to and why did you not mention the other one?
Also, would you care to share with us which of the GOP candidates would get your vote or have you decided yet?
Thanks again for the offering.
It doesn’t seem like anyone is voting FOR anybody.