Forty Years and Nothing has Changed…

 

During my Friday morning coffee and newsfeed I came across a disturbing headline, “HASC’s Smith:  U.S. Should Abandon Quest for Military Preeminence”.  The article’s first paragraph read that, “The U.S. military needs to wake up to the fact that global dominance is no longer a viable strategy for national defense, because pursuing that unrealizable goal is making the country less safe, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said April 22″.  (The link is at the end of this post.)

When I read that paragraph, suddenly, my coffee didn’t taste as well as it usually does.  We need to give up dominance on the battlefield?  That is our new strategy?  I didn’t know if I wanted to read the rest of the article but I determined that I would plow through.

It appears that the HASC chairman, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash) was basing his strategy partly on a statement from Marine General Kenneth McKenzie in which the General was lamenting the proliferation of small, cheap commercial drones which could be adapted to the battlefield.  So, according to Smith, the U.S. should be ready to throw in the towel, “You can’t just be so big and bad that no one’s going to take you on, because they can take you on with a tiny little drone.”

Smith’s solution?  According to the good representative, “…rather than seeking to dominate all its adversaries, the U.S. military should look for ways to change their calculus, to make it clear that conflict was not in their interests.  Deterrence, not dominance, is what I’m really kind of looking at us being able to do here.”  Oddly enough, the representative did not provide any examples of how a potential enemy can be deterred without the threat of dominant military power.

As I poured my second cup of coffee, I thought back to 1980-81.  The Soviets were firmly ensconced in Afghanistan; not to mention busily sowing discord in Europe, Africa, and South America.  They appeared to be on the march and many Democrats in Congress seemed eager to relegate the U.S. to a position of subordinance.  The Soviets were just too strong; the U.S. needed to adjust to the “new realism”.  Then along came a guy by the name of Reagan.

President Ronald Reagan wasn’t interested in 2d place; he knew that Americans were winners, that we were the “good guys” and that the Soviets could be beaten.  Still, the Democrats were determined to resist that notion.  They were the elite class; they were educated at all the best schools.  They knew more than that “amiable dunce”.  So, they fought him at every turn.  As Marc Thiessen notes:  “Most Democrats opposed the Reagan policies that led to the fall of the Soviet empire.  They fought the Reagan defense buildup and his Strategic Defense Initiative (which Sen. Edward Kennedy dismissed as ‘Star Wars’ and Sen. John Kerry called ‘a dream based on illusion’).  They supported the Soviet-supported nuclear freeze movement and opposed Reagan’s deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles to Western Europe.  They criticized Reagan’s efforts to arm freedom fighters seeking to overthrow Soviet puppet regimes and support to pro-American governments fighting communist insurgencies…After Reagan called on the Soviets to ‘tear down’ the Berlin Wall, Democratic House Speaker Jim Wright declared that he had ‘utter contempt for Reagan’ because he had ‘spoiled the chance for a dramatic breakthrough in relations between our two countries’…Democrats such as Kennedy criticized Reagan for his ‘misleading Red-scare tactics’…”

Now, 40 years later, the Democrats haven’t changed a bit; not one iota.  The Chinese and Russians are too strong.  They have some weapons that we can’t defend against.  It’s hopeless; we need to spend our money on domestic needs and let someone else dominate the world.  Anyway, the real enemy is climate change.

Fellow Ricochet-ers, are you as sick of this crap as I am?  This is America!  We are Americans!  We can build things!  If an enemy deploys one weapon, we will deploy five, just as lethal!  When will we start acting like the world leaders that other nations used to respect (and fear)?

Yes, I know.  I’m preaching to the choir.  However, I believe that we need to scream from the rooftops that the Democratic Party now, more than any other time, is the Party of Treason.  There is no other way to put it.  If Republicans are afraid to use the term then I believe it’s time for them to go back to their day jobs at the Chamber of Commerce.

https://www.airforcemag.com/hascs-smith-u-s-should-abandon-quest-for-military-preeminence/

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There are 17 comments.

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  1. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    Democrats and liberals are complete fools where power is concerned. I knew people of that persuasion who even today will swear that Reagan had nothing to do with the fall of the Soviet Union. It was Gorbachev who unilaterally decided to stand down and Reagan was the beneficiary. No, I’m not joking. They really are that stupid/ignorant. 

    • #1
  2. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    CACrabtree: Still, the Democrats were determined to resist that notion.  They were the elite class; they were educated at all the best schools.  They knew more than that “amiable dunce”.  So, they fought him at every turn.  As Marc Thiessen notes:  “Most Democrats opposed the Reagan policies that led to the fall of the Soviet empire.  They fought the Reagan defense buildup and his Strategic Defense Initiative (which Sen. Edward Kennedy dismissed as ‘Star Wars’ and Sen. John Kerry called ‘a dream based on illusion’). 

    The Union of Concerned Scientists Who Had Never in Their Lives Built Anything More Complicated Than a Birdhouse (UCSWHNTLBAMCTB) intoned that “you can’t hit a bullet with a bullet.”

    The engineers laughed and said “Keep our beer cold.”

    • #2
  3. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    CACrabtree: Fellow Ricochet-ers, are you as sick of this crap as I am? 

    Yes! And yes to the rest of your post. Good job!

    • #3
  4. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    Yes, I am sick of this crap.  The Left does not like initiative or achievement.  That’s why they are not working toward carbon-free reliable power.  If we went to full hydroelectric and nuclear power, we could reduce the pollution from electricity to barely noticeable.   Similarly, drones are not invincible.   Lightweight drones are vulnerable to a wide variety of projectiles.  If they are electronic, they are vulnerable to microwave attacks.

    The Left operates in a world of victimhood power, of gated woke enclaves immune to their policies.  They think that because they can push us around, they can push people who have attained power atop a pile of bodies around.

    • #4
  5. Mark Alexander Inactive
    Mark Alexander
    @MarkAlexander

    “HASC’s Smith:  U.S. Should Abandon Quest for Military Preeminence”.  The article’s first paragraph read that, “The U.S. military needs to wake up to the fact that global dominance is no longer a viable strategy for national defense, because pursuing that unrealizable goal is making the country less safe, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said April 22″.

    Bet there’s China money supporting the people willing to express that point of view. Wait…no… that’s just a conspiracy theory. Communist China would not conspire.

    • #5
  6. Chris Oler Coolidge
    Chris Oler
    @ChrisO

    Mark Alexander (View Comment):

    “HASC’s Smith: U.S. Should Abandon Quest for Military Preeminence”. The article’s first paragraph read that, “The U.S. military needs to wake up to the fact that global dominance is no longer a viable strategy for national defense, because pursuing that unrealizable goal is making the country less safe, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said April 22″.

    Bet there’s China money supporting the people willing to express that point of view. Wait…no… that’s just a conspiracy theory. Communist China would not conspire.

    Had similar thoughts because of the particular phrases employed here: “global dominance” and preeminence. These are the precise things the CCP wants, and the language used. 

    I don’t want to fuel China paranoia. Unshackling our economy, as we will in two years or four, will be enough.

    • #6
  7. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    Yes, I am sick of this crap. The Left does not like initiative or achievement. That’s why they are not working toward carbon-free reliable power. If we went to full hydroelectric and nuclear power, we could reduce the pollution from electricity to barely noticeable. Similarly, drones are not invincible. Lightweight drones are vulnerable to a wide variety of projectiles. If they are electronic, they are vulnerable to microwave attacks.

    Yep. Working on it. Well, not me directly but it’s being developed.

    • #7
  8. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    Yes, I am sick of this crap. The Left does not like initiative or achievement. That’s why they are not working toward carbon-free reliable power. If we went to full hydroelectric and nuclear power, we could reduce the pollution from electricity to barely noticeable. Similarly, drones are not invincible. Lightweight drones are vulnerable to a wide variety of projectiles. If they are electronic, they are vulnerable to microwave attacks.

    The Left operates in a world of victimhood power, of gated woke enclaves immune to their policies. They think that because they can push us around, they can push people who have attained power atop a pile of bodies around.

    They seem to specialize in explaining why any market-based approach will not work, but never find flaws with any plan that increases the reach and power of the federal government and courts. 

    • #8
  9. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    CACrabtree: I believe that we need to scream from the rooftops that the Democratic Party now, more than any other time, is the Party of Treason.  There is no other way to put it.  If Republicans are afraid to use the term then I believe it’s time for them to go back to their day jobs at the Chamber of Commerce.

    Just so. 

    • #9
  10. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    You’re not necessarily preaching to the choir. This what you get with a Biden administration. All the NeverTrumpers need to understand the stupidity of their vote. 

    • #10
  11. CACrabtree Coolidge
    CACrabtree
    @CACrabtree

    Manny (View Comment):

    You’re not necessarily preaching to the choir. This what you get with a Biden administration. All the NeverTrumpers need to understand the stupidity of their vote.

    Amen!!!

    • #11
  12. Tex929rr Coolidge
    Tex929rr
    @Tex929rr

    The bankruptcy of the left when it comes to power projection was revealed in all its dazzling weakness in the BHO administration.  From early on BHO would talk about “tough diplomacy”, certainly a ridiculous idea if ever there was one.  What makes diplomacy tough?  Only the ability to use coercive measures when needed, viz actual power.  And Samantha Power’s “soft power”, epitomized by the elusive “soft power dividend”.  The Red Chinese, the Russians, the Iranians and every non state thug is thrilled to see them back in the Biden administration. 

    Teddy Roosevelt had his problems but “speak softly and carry a big stick” is the best description of actual tough diplomacy that I’ve ever heard. 

    • #12
  13. Steve C. Member
    Steve C.
    @user_531302

    The Democrats aren’t traitors, they are cowards and appeasers.

     

    • #13
  14. CACrabtree Coolidge
    CACrabtree
    @CACrabtree

    Tex929rr (View Comment):

    The bankruptcy of the left when it comes to power projection was revealed in all its dazzling weakness in the BHO administration. From early on BHO would talk about “tough diplomacy”, certainly a ridiculous idea if ever there was one. What makes diplomacy tough? Only the ability to use coercive measures when needed, viz actual power. And Samantha Power’s “soft power”, epitomized by the elusive “soft power dividend”. The Red Chinese, the Russians, the Iranians and every non state thug is thrilled to see them back in the Biden administration.

    Teddy Roosevelt had his problems but “speak softly and carry a big stick” is the best description of actual tough diplomacy that I’ve ever heard.

    Whatever you do, don’t cross his Red Line…

    • #14
  15. CACrabtree Coolidge
    CACrabtree
    @CACrabtree

    Manny (View Comment):

    You’re not necessarily preaching to the choir. This what you get with a Biden administration. All the NeverTrumpers need to understand the stupidity of their vote.

    @manny You might be interested in the essay below.  It was written before the election but the words still ring true for today.

     

    https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/10/71916/

     

    • #15
  16. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    You’re not necessarily preaching to the choir. This what you get with a Biden administration. All the NeverTrumpers need to understand the stupidity of their vote.

    @ manny You might be interested in the essay below. It was written before the election but the words still ring true for today.

    https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/10/71916/

    Thanks CrabTree. (Is it ok to call you that?  Sounds like a good nickname.) THats about how I came to accept Trump too. It was not love at first sight or even second! But given the alternatives you would have to be near sighted to vote for either Hilary or Simple Joe. Trump put three people on SCOTUS. Would any right thinking conservative have preferred Hilary’s picks  over his?  It’s not even debatable.

    • #16
  17. CACrabtree Coolidge
    CACrabtree
    @CACrabtree

    Manny (View Comment):

    CACrabtree (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    You’re not necessarily preaching to the choir. This what you get with a Biden administration. All the NeverTrumpers need to understand the stupidity of their vote.

    @ manny You might be interested in the essay below. It was written before the election but the words still ring true for today.

    https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/10/71916/

    Thanks CrabTree. (Is it ok to call you that? Sounds like a good nickname.) THats about how I came to accept Trump too. It was not love at first sight or even second! But given the alternatives you would have to be near sighted to vote for either Hilary or Simple Joe. Trump put three people on SCOTUS. Would any right thinking conservative have preferred Hilary’s picks over his? It’s not even debatable.

    Hey, you can call me Ray; You can call me Jay;…you know the rest.

    As for not being debatable; sadly, we’ve seen that it appears to be…

    • #17
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