From Uni-polar to Uni-polar

Until the last five years, if we really lived in a uni-polar world, it revolved around the United States of America. We were the premier world power. For the most part, the power was used for the benefit of the world in general. Despots like Stalin, Khrushchev, and Mao were held in check. There were times when we were ineffective. The Kims still control North Korea and the Castros still control Cuba. On occasion, we were wrong. As in Viet Nam and Iraq. 

The power of the United States has not been used, in recent history, to possess foreign lands. When the United States went into Kuwait to oust Saddam Hussein, we could have taken possession the country and owned their oil. No one could have denied us. But we did not. We spent American dollars and blood to win back freedom for the Kuwaiti people. Over the years, that is the way the United States has operated.

For the past five years, the foreign policy that the United States has operated under has been a naive dream. A dream where there is no greed or anger in the world. No leader is moved by a lust for power. Where, if one powerful leader holds out his hand in peace there will be a worldwide Kumbaya moment and "the lions shall lay down with the lamb. And a little child shall lead them."

That is not happening, and I, for one, have had enough of that little child thing. There are big bad people out there who never attended liberal colleges and joined peace movements. They will not only eat your lunch, they will stuff the garbage in a bag and throw it at you.

Obviously, Vladimir Putin is such a man. He does not see friendship. He sees weakness. And he is not wrong. There is an old phrase, "Peace Through Strength". Or even"walk softly and carry a big stick". We are slowly but surely whittling away at our big stick. We now have a small stick heading toward a toothpick as the President shrinks our military even more. This will not serve us well. Obama has ceded world leadership to Putin.

Putin did everything possible to polish his image at the Olympic Games in Sochi. But then he saw an opportunity in the Ukraine. Power trumps image to men like Putin so he made his move. While Putin is playing international chess, Obama is considering setting up the checker board.

A wise man would see the error of his ways and reverse his course. An ideologue would not be able to see past his preconceived notions of his place in history. Ideology protects him from the lightning bolt strike of reality. But that does not change that reality.

Are there no adults in the Democrat party that value their country above their agenda? We are being destroyed from within. I hope, not intentionally. But the damage is still there. Statesmen please stand up and come to the front of the room and take control. Now is the time because there could be no later.