Keeping America secure; 5 questions for the presidential candidates, By
John Bolton 10/10/15, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
With America's international influence declining at an ever faster pace under Barack Obama, the importance of
making national security the 2016 presidential campaign's central issue has
increased correspondingly. Although the conventional wisdom of political
operatives and commentators is that voters do not pay attention to foreign and
defense policy, threatening events around the world now compel a different
conclusion.
In fact, American citizens do understand that the
president's principal job is to keep the country safe. In the 2014 elections,
for example, when ISIS began beheading American citizens, the issue of
international terrorism rose quickly to the top of the agenda in many hotly
contested Senate and House races. Today, the spectacle of Russian air assets in
Syria and continued threats to Ukraine; ISIS redrawing the map of the Middle
East; Obama's appalling nuclear deal with Iran; and China taking control of the South China Sea all show why international leadership must
be the primary qualification for presidential aspirants.
To aid voters in evaluating the presidential race, here are
five basic questions all the candidates must answer:
1. What is America's proper place in the world?
Do the candidates see a strong U.S. international presence
contributing to international peace and security, which has
been the traditional Republican view, often summarized as "peace through
strength"? Or do they see American economic, political and military power
- both as a deterrent but even more so when actually put to work - as causing
as much international tension and conflict as the hostile, aggressive designs
of our adversaries?
The latter is Obama's view, characterized by repeated
apologies for past American foreign policies. Thus, Obama and John Kerry have
ascribed Tehran's anti-Americanism to U.S. involvement in the 1953 coup
overthrowing Prime Minister Mosaddeq. Most Americans, by contrast, understand
that Iran's mullahs despise us because of their radical Islamicist ideology.
Accordingly, for almost seven years, Obama has tried appeasing Iran on its
nuclear program to overcome the mullahs' hostility.
2. How does U.S. foreign policy affect domestic policy?
Not long ago, this question was unnecessary. Sadly, however,
many politicians misunderstood our Cold War victory. Gulled by "the end of
history," and seeking a fanciful "peace dividend," they concluded
that foreign affairs would thereafter be far less important. In reality, of
course, foreign and domestic policies are inextricably linked, energy policy
being perhaps the best example.
We cannot effectively protect our interests and our friends abroad without a strong domestic economy. And that economy
is not sustainable without a stable, open international trade and investment
environment, buttressed by security structures, which the United States has led
in providing since 1945. Ignoring this linkage guarantees failure, and thereby
helps explain why we are in trouble today. A candidate who focuses only on
domestic policy
is only half a candidate.
3. What are the primary threats and opportunities America
faces abroad?
The long-term strategic dangers posed by aggressive Russian
and Chinese behavior, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
international terrorism's continuing menace should top the list of threats.
Opportunities are harder to find, because, especially after Obama's tenure,
when even our friends are hedging their bets. Candidates need to do more than
read staff-written speeches or answer debate questions with pre-programmed
talking points. They must demonstrate the intellect and character to detect,
analyze, and respond to threats and opportunities.
4. How should America respond to those threats and
opportunities?
Describing our manifold, growing problems and critiquing
Obama's failures are not enough. We must urgently restore the confidence of our
friends and allies, and, as importantly, remind our adversaries that we are
fully capable of acting to protect our global interests and friends. How do the
presidential candidates propose to do this? How will they resurrect the
deterrence capabilities that have fallen into disuse and disrepair?
For example, do they understand, especially after the Vienna
deal with Iran and years of ignoring North Korea's nuclear threat, that we must
rapidly restore our national missile defense program? Vague generalities are
not enough.
5. What resources are required for our national defense?
In addition to political will and determination, America
needs the resources necessary to match its strategic priorities.
While aggregate federal spending must be dramatically reduced, the reality is
that Obama has slashed military and intelligence spending catastrophically,
gravely impairing our defense capabilities. Even as a new president cuts
domestic spending to acceptable levels, military and intelligence spending must
rise significantly and urgently, as with Ronald Reagan in 1981. Rhetoric is
costless, but budget allocations are scored in hard dollars.
Many important issues face America but 2016 voters should
not give presidential candidates a second look if they cannot persuasively answer national security questions like these.
Source: John Bolton | John Bolton PAC | boltonpac.com
Comments
The first
thing we need to do to restore the US military is to impeach Obama. John Bolton is making the pitch for the US to
remain the world’s policeman, but he knows we’re broke. The US squandered $5
trillion on Afghanistan and Iraq and then squandered $8.5 trillion on global
warming, global bank welfare, excessive immigration, destabilizing the Middle
East and infrastructure for Obama’s national socialist domestic dictatorship.
Obama has destroyed our military and our economy in every way possible. The
Hawks need to shift their attention to getting rid of our national debt before
they root for more money spending. We need our military now to secure the
Mexican border. That would be true defense.
On the rest, we need to stop spending on foreign aid of all types until
we restore our main street economy.
After we restore our economic strength, we can restore our military
strength.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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