Despite being force fed a million other reasons to submit to governance, the single most important and the one clearly codified in our Constitution is security. Governments are supposed to keep us safe first and foremost. Its not to feed us, clothe us, shelter us, or even educate us. That so many have come to expect those things now is a testament to how successful our experiment has become. The prognostication of from bondage to bondage is playing out in our generation because government has far exceeded it’s true role and to our detriment. We are fat, dumb, and not very happy and it’s not a good place to be.
Those “safety nets” and “social programs” are nice to have but the must have is slipping away. Without security you don’t have all those wonderful programs. The deterioration of our local law enforcement is the most direct evidence of the ineffectiveness of our current governance. A small number of anarchists and those who seek to undermine our country are holding sway over the vast majority of citizens who want to live in peace and prosperity.
While we’re not dealing with domestic insurrection, nefarious foreign actors are exploiting our open society. Chinese spies have wormed their way into the very fabric of our governments and economy. Our good will and welcoming policies have allowed wholesale theft of our intellectual property. Instead of making sure our infrastructure is safe and secure, our leaders are working hard to “forgive debt” and make sure we’re all “equal”. Indeed, many are working to open our borders to anyone and everyone. Great stuff when Russia is tapping in to disarm our defense capabilities. Nice that we’re reimagining police work when all your banking and health data is being laid bare in China.
We have taken our eye off the ball and are going to suffer the consequences for years. It is no secret that China is building a war machine that will rival ours soon enough. It includes undermining our society with information meant to tear at our divisions. This exploitation is made easier by compliant leaders who care less about us than their next election. While Congress plays politics, China and Russia are playing war games.
For all his faults, President Trump laid out the real issues for our country. China is a bad actor. Iran is a bad actor. Russia is a bad actor. Our own Congress is a bad actor too. Its their job to keep us safe first and foremost and they are failing miserably at it.
Current Day Publius 