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April 15, 2009
Exclusive: Political Lessons from Israel – Have a Message, Then Hit ‘Send’
In recent few weeks the U.S., courtesy of our leaders – have been outplayed across the globe and internally. We look like the amateur hour.
Consider for the moment the follies they have recently been shared with the world. At Secretary Clinton’s first major official meeting with Russian leaders, our Russian translation was erroneous – reminding the world that while someone who speaks two languages is bilingual and someone who speaks three languages is multilingual, folks who only speak one language are called “American.” Then of course, there was the thoughtless comment made by our president on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno about intellectually challenged persons. The bigger question that arises is, why was our president on Leno being lighthearted when deadly serious issues face us? His taking time out to select the Final Four in the annual March Madness undermines any seriousness with which we should take him. Even one of the greatest gentlemen in college sports – Coach K of Duke –admonished the president to stay on course and pay more attention to the economy and less on basketball. Then there are our friends in Venezuela who think our president is ignorant of South American politics – Chávez has said so publicly. The Russians and Iranians don’t take us seriously. And that is not a Bush legacy; Obama is doing this all by himself.
This is a time for serious players, serious conversations and serious solutions – not rhetoric. It is easy to criticize policies – good or bad. But America needs to do more than just denounce Obama’s policies based on ideological lines. America needs an alternative vision that it can embrace as a viable alternate reality and something behind which it can rally. A vision about energy such as that shared by former Speaker Gingrich (or your humble correspondent’s suggestion to explore the Arctic) are one component of what should be a larger strategy that sets out the angels in the details.
The stimulus plan, the emerging budget, and the reorientation or “rebooting” of the direction our nation is taking portend real danger for the Republic and for most citizens in the years ahead. Main Street America needs an ally – a team with a viable strategy to create jobs, increase the wealth of the individual and lessen their dependency on government, and leaders courageous enough to step out and share the vision. Clearly this will not come in the form of the unions, the board room or the halls of government. In the absence of such leadership, the United States will lose.
Technology and War
Never before in the annals of war has a country used technology for its greater purpose to reduce civilian injuries. Israelis dropped pamphlets and sent text messages; even went so far as to identify and call people in Gaza through cell phones to warn them of impending attack. The Israelis had a message and got it out quickly. There’s a lesson here for Americans who would turn the direction of our nation around. Politics is warfare, and in all things competitive or combative, the most committed usually win. At the critical time in history when the United States and her people are at the precipice or embarkation point of a new reality – depending upon your perspective.
President Obama emerged from a meeting with Gordon Brown and announced we’re about to experience a global New Deal. Translation: socialists of the world unite. The United States is about to become a socialist nation. Granted it was under “W” that we started this mess, and Paulson et al padded the wallets of his financial buddies and rewarded them for bad acts. But Congress also failed miserably to protect the people. Let’s be frank: they set the stage for this series of events and probably wanted it. Why? “It’s the economy, stupid.” They used the power of the media and rhetoric to convince the average person that they needed the resulting power necessary to take the country in a new direction.
Will we be modeled after the Marxist image of Europe and Russia or the mob rule of South America? The nation is about to be run by a handful of folks who think they know more than the rest of us, and they are gathering power and using the government as the vehicle. Don’t blink or you will see the greatest transfer of power, individual rights, and personal wealth and citizen autonomy to the government.
Sun Tzu once cautioned that if you do not know your enemy or yourself you cannot expect to win many battles. Know yourself well and your enemy better and you will win your battles. The weapons that the DNC wield are impressive – the media, the enormous and near total power of the federal government, academia, unions, money, influence, power.
This enormous enterprise to take over the halls of power didn’t occur overnight. It has been the result of a single-mindedness of purpose built brick upon brick for almost a decade. The tools – control the media, and initiate mass mobilization on campuses, in the streets, at political events – staged events on a scale unheard of – great theater, great intimidation and great propaganda. Marshal the mob mentality. The prize has always been the Central Government. From that lofty perch all change is possible. When governing becomes more important than the governed, when people turn themselves over to government instead of government being by and for the people, it is only a matter of time before we surrender our individual liberties.
Dating back to the early days of our fledgling nation, the framers wrestled with the ideal balance between a strong central (federal) government and the rights, privileges and sovereignty of the people. According to Dr. Benjamin Rush, “It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government and to prepare the principles, morals and manners of our citizens, for these forms of government after they are established and brought to perfection.” The angels are always in the details and what forms would they be lead to great debates between the Federalists and the “anti Federalists,” led by Thomas Jefferson of the Democrat-Republicans. The heart of the debate included how the individual could be permitted to flourish without interference from the government at the same time he was sheltered by it. People were rightly concerned that a strong central government – while able to provide efficiencies and guarantee rights across territories – could also trample the individual. Those who supported a weaker central government countered that the rights of the people were worth the tradeoff.
In the end, avoiding the temptation of a zero sum game, the dynamic balance between a three bodied central government and the respective authorities of the states was created and it has been a tenuous balance for 200 years. The framers – distrustful of parties, mob mentality and the inherent avarice of mankind – created a government they thought might be immune, or at least resistant, to charismatic leaders, the selfishness of mobs and the temptation towards monarchy. For 221 years their system worked. Then in 2008, a dangerous confluence of events arose that may undermine the best laid plans. The dangers of one party rule cannot be overstated.
Consider in close to 90 days what has and will occur through the power of the Federal Government in the hands of similarly minded people. Those running the Federal government afford more influence than the obvious right to levy taxes, provide earmarks for dutiful supporters and use the budget to promote an agenda. The Administration can, through various Cabinet level agencies influence state and local events. Money is a great motivator; the ability to hand it out or withhold it can influence behaviors. The Russians once quipped that the average American is worth $25,000 (what they often spent to buy U.S. citizens and the information or access they possessed). Since the federal government is going to spend trillions – much of which will benefit government employees, welfare recipients (ostensibly government employees but doing even less work than their office based counterparts) unions, social programs for illegal aliens, and anyone else whose vote is up for sale – it is obvious the Feds are applying the Russian calculus and found the purchase price for American loyalty.
The situation is also being manipulated to cut government spending on issues unappealing to the left – the military, homeland security, immigration enforcement and others – and to ultimately ram through projects putatively under the guise of saving money or fiscal responsibility. This is liberal speak for “let’s slice up the military budget and transfer those funds to entitlement programs.”
One of the dirty little secrets of our nationwide budget shortfalls affecting many states and draining vital funds is illegal aliens. Alas, this defaults not by necessity but by expedience into a racial or ethnic discussion – the third rail of American politics. Instead of having honest discourse that illegals cost the average citizen much more than any benefit derived, and setting about to solve this problem and with it freeing up critical resources for those who came in the front door, the Administration moves toward protecting this group. Why not? Beyond the personal is the pragmatic. And herein rests another of the dangers resulting from the left running the federal government – their ability to sign up new voters through immigration policy. Consider “sanctuary cities” – those that are unabashedly open to illegal aliens where the locals fail to report them. So while Federal agencies can and should deport such folks, a pro-amnesty, pro-invasion team can undermine the efforts of our border security and immigration enforcement.
Illegals cost this nation far more than they benefit us. Just take a look at the welfare list or arrest sheets. Some communities spend upwards of 25% on providing services to illegal aliens. Healthcare facilities are often overwhelmed by illegals. Our gang problem, now heavily armed with weapons from across the border, will only grow.
Illegal criminal aliens from Mexico are to the U.S. what Hamas is to Israel and the clock is ticking. The illegal problem is already bankrupting California. Other border states should take caution and Sen. McCain and others should revisit the threat that unbridled immigration poses to our nation.
Some wonder why the rush to judgment by the government by indiscriminately pumping money into the economy as fast as it can be printed. Instead of lamenting the current economy and that many poor folks can’t afford things and using this as an excuse to slide entitlements into an alleged stimulus bill, why not inculcate a sense of work ethic? Why not create infrastructure that promotes private enterprise? These are good questions and ones that demand answers.
Alas the DNC is the only party doing the speaking. It is time that the RNC share with average Americans why Obama policies will hurt them and their kids and what are the alternate RNC strategies that can lead to a better life for this and future generations. I wasn’t hallucinating in a prior article when I suggested a major project towards energy independence would be to explore the Arctic. Consider the wealth Scotland enjoyed through the discovery of North Sea oil (NSO). NSO created jobs, strengthened the economy, and enhanced national pride. The cost of exploration was well rewarded. And with my Arctic plan – we’d be investing instead of spending. Every American family can appreciate the difference between spending dollars – a great give a way, versus investing them – to build industries, creating jobs. Mr. Obama I’m still available to fulfill my role as Arctic Czar!
Obanaomics Threaten Our Security
Does anyone think the military are off limits to Obama’s red pen? Obama recently sent up a trial balloon, threatening to bill the insurance companies of our wounded veterans instead of having the VA shoulder the entire cost. Beyond the fact most private insurers will not cover acts of war, is the morally bankrupt notion that people who willingly risk their lives on behalf of their nation are somehow not entitled to the protections of a grateful nation? This was not an accident. Obama was testing his mandate. Thankfully the loyal opposition pushed back. But the action was far more telling beneath the surface. Who other than both a non-military and seemingly anti-military person would even suggest such a thing? Clearly, down deep, neither he nor much of his team value the sacrifice of our military.
Using the scare tactics of the economy, the Statists will try to convince the folks that government contracts are full of excess and that fiscal responsibility and greater oversight need to be initiated. What they won’t tell you is that this applies only to defense and security industry expenditures, not the giveaway programs. They will try to convince us that new nuclear warheads or stealth bombers or the super fighter (Raptor) are unnecessary – everyone will love us so much more without weapons. After all, it was our weapons that made everyone feel uncomfortable. So if everyone will just do a Rip Van Winkle for a few months, when we wake up those nasty old weapons dollars will be turned into more entitlements, Utopia will have been founded and all will be right. (In an upcoming article we’ll discuss Obama and the Russians. Can you fight bad guys with plowshares?)
Sadly, given there are more and more folks looking towards government from which to suckle and government using the public as an endless checkbook, it is likely that without a compelling message or terrorist event, our military, intelligence and homeland security will be undermined, cut and deemphasized – all packaged in lofty and seemingly plausible rhetoric. Yet those of us in preparedness know that Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and a few other rogue states (including the UN) cannot be trusted, the war on terror is far from over, the energy wars have just begun, and battles over commercial alliances only just beginning. This is the worst time to start a class war and to lower our guard.
The Statists and the Media
Way back in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as our political parties were evolving, it was acknowledged that their causes would not succeed if their publications didn’t. To quote a line from Eric Burns’ insightful book Infamous Scribblers, “The newspaper page was as important a battlefield for them (parties) as Yorktown and Saratoga had been for the colonists during the war.” Burns continues: “Political leaders furnished funds to launch newspapers. Party’s subsidized established editors to keep them operating. Party leaders gave publishers jobs as postmasters or government printers. On all levels, government officials and party leaders gave exclusive news to papers representing the party views.” Sound familiar? Statists have near total control of the print and TV media and with it, control of the message that the average family sees or reads.
George Soros and his ilk must have read history; using wealth, patronage and influence he and his devotees have guided most of the print and television media as shameless cheerleaders for the Statists. Only talk radio and the Internet serve as the outlets for the loyal opposition.
The loyal opposition needs to take a lesson from Israel and tap into its ample resources. Israel, a nation that has traditionally been innovative in technology and savvy in its usage – from hydroponic gardening to cell phone and encryption advances to medical breakthroughs – knows how to leverage assets and counter an adversary even when significantly outnumbered. We can learn a lot from our friends in Tel Aviv.
Discussion
Our president continues to complain about the problems he inherited. That dog just won’t hunt. It’s been almost three months and he has yet to demonstrate a grasp of fiscal policy, basic economics or how to create jobs. Undermining industry across the board, creating disincentives to investment, allowing billions in pork or entitlements and ignoring basic fundamentals is not the way to stimulate the economy. It’s time to call him out, but in ways that don’t allow for his glib “it’s a partisan attack” rap. Force the debate.
Fact – Things have not solidified or stabilized since Obama unleashed his plans.
Consider the securities skydive; with the Dow in virtual freefall. Since Obama was sworn in, the Dow has lost thousands of points…not hundreds, but thousands. How ironic that the Bush administration was lambasted for using the threat of terrorism to push through significant security policies. Americans’ fears over the economy are being used to implement radical changes. At least with the Bush expenditures we had something of value – better security, more weapons, and enhanced technology. What do we get from the trillions the Statists are getting ready to spend?
This social engineering and giveaway mindset will curse our nation with a weakling class of multigenerational welfare recipients the likes haven’t been seen since the LBJ debacle erroneously labeled the Great Society – sure, if great means destroying the black family or other policies guaranteed to undermine the values and strength of our nation.
The irony is that Obama – a guy who through education, hard work and connections has risen to the highest job in the land – thinks it is okay to lower the bar instead of try to raise the bottom. What our nation doesn’t need – what no nation needs – is more people living off of the government. We need less. And government bailouts are not the answer. Clearly an enlightened society must have fail safes for the most vulnerable in our society – that doesn’t mean idiots who put hot coffee between their legs then drive to work, or people on disability racing jet skis, or the able bodied living on welfare because they pop babies out like an Easy Bake Oven. Yet we are rewarding bad behavior, and the Statists are becoming the ultimate enablers. Like it or not, we need the wealthy. Moreover, we need people wanting to become wealthy. Why do people come to the U.S.? Because it is the land of opportunity. But for how long?
Where is the message of sanity? And when will it be disseminated through the marvels of 21st century technology?
Conclusion
The Statists are using soft power and the language of virtue to veil non-virtuous activities. Terms like social justice and shared responsibility are all benevolent sounding, but are really income redistribution and attempts to take from the better off and give to whatever favored group the power elite designate. It is neither justice nor responsible. The Statists are using the economy to rapidly implement the largest transfer of personal wealth generationally into the hands of government, saddling America with untold debt and transitioning the nation into a socialist one.
The silent majority must come off the sidelines. Until that happens, even the most middle class, middle sensibilities individual will buy into the Statist message – which is given uniformly across spectra, and consistently shared through every viable and allied communications outlet. To paraphrase a great set of lines from the movie The American President (where Michael J. Fox’s character is trying to get “the President” to share his side of the issue with the public): “In the absence of true leadership, people will drink the sand thinking its water.” The President counters “people drink the sand because they don’t know the difference.” So where is the true leadership? Explain to the people why the path this nation is taking is wrong; make it about issues, patriotism not party or politics – go beyond the usual partisan bashing.
Illuminate the policies – get them into the light of day from the folks’ perspective, not policy wonk speak. The working class needs to recognize “all they will be doing is working to pay other peoples’ expenses.”
The average person thinks $100,000 a year is a big salary. Many cannot relate to, and therefore feel no need for or support of, those making $250,000. The politics of jealousy is powerful, but it can be derailed. The mortgage and charitable deduction benefits reduction and likely increase in capital gains rate to those earning over $250,000 is likely to have a significant negative effect on the three essential industries represented by those benefits: it is the high wage earner and middle America jobs spun off from their efforts that drives the economy. Explain why charity deductions, mortgage deductions and capital gains rates for the well off are desirable and shouldn’t be eliminated – how they translate for the betterment of our community in real dollars today. As a foundation board member, I know firsthand how these policies can impact our ability to implement “help” programs in our community.
For example, when wealthy folks donate money it usually goes to schools, foundations and hospitals – all to the betterment of the community. Without an incentive to make charitable contributions, beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling to do so, local services decline along with the loss of rich folks’ funds.
Taking it further, when rich folks don’t invest in stocks because the capital gains rate may go up, stock prices stagnate – and since most ordinary folks have their retirements in the equities market, “punishing” rich folks has a negative downstream effect on the middle class. It’s the same with the mortgage deduction. Rich folks own multiple homes that are usually big. The construction industry relies upon expensive homes; cut the deduction and you cut the industry – and that translates to losing local skilled, unskilled and professional jobs. We want people in a position to own expensive homes….these create jobs. In prior times of economic downturns, the housing industry was considered a savior at best or a buffer at worst. Today it is causal. It is not enough to have money available to lend, we need people in a position to borrow it! Where in the current giveaway is there a significant jobs creation component? And at what cost? Only government can turn gold into lead.
Economics doesn’t have to be Keynes 101 or Adam Smith 102 (glaze over…start snoring) …it is about people and their lives.
Instead of trying to figure out how to increase money into investments – the stock market being the most visible representation – Obama’s policies are having a chilling effect on and are continuing to undermine investor confidence. Don’t take my word for it. Like vital signs to a physician, the Dow is a financial vital sign demonstrating the patient is sick and the money doctors (Wall Street) are shouting “code blue” and no one is listening.
Democracy is a participatory sport. Government is not the answer to all our problems. Most of us don’t want to live in a nanny state; we want government to keep out or throw out the bad guys, keep danger at bay, regulate just enough to protect us but not too much as to rule us, tax us just enough so we know it’s the membership to the greatest club (the U.S.), and then get out of the way so that our respective talents can take us where they may. Although anathema to the Statists, we are all born with different talents. So while we may be all equal in the sight of the law, we are not all equal even in the sight of God; each has been given a talent and is expected to use it. Some are athletic and some are bright and some, well, their moms can see what gifts they have. We don’t all have the ability to be Super Bowl quarterbacks or real estate moguls. But most of us accept the bargain of enjoying life based upon our efforts. When the work ethic is undermined, so will our nation be. But the path of least resistance is appealing. Countering the profound temptation of being cared for from “cradle to grave” will be a challenge but not for folks accustomed to working for a living.
It is time for us to get back in the game – not with protestations that ring hollow as mere partisan posturing, but with tangible warnings that illustrate using kitchen table logic that the Statis strategy is all about grabbing power and changing the very fiber of our nation by using economic terrorism tactics to scare the average person into submission or acquiescence. Time is fleeting. There is no time to do things in series; much must be done now. From recruiting grass roots support to delivering the message, to supporting new candidates and protecting existing ones to building coalitions to block further damage to the Republic. But it starts with reconnecting with the people.
In the absence of true leadership, people will drink the sand. It is time once again for true leadership. Lessons from Israel – A strategy for the people: have a message, then hit “send.”
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr. Robin McFee is a physician and medical toxicologist. An expert in WMD preparedness, she is a consultant to government agencies, corporations and the media. Dr. McFee is a member of the Global Terrorism, Political Instability and International Crime Council of ASIS International. She has authored numerous articles on terrorism, health care and preparedness, and coauthored two books: Toxico-Terrorism by McGraw Hill and The Handbook of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Agents, published by Informa/CRC Press.
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