Having the Cowardice of One's Convictions? -OR- A Spine, A Spine, My Empire For A Spine

How is YOUR National Security doing? I only ask because after years of being hammered incessantly over the abject failure of Democrats (still SO need to find that "dripping with disdain" font) to properly address "National Security Issues", I can't help but wonder if those cyclically chanting that mantra have clue one what the term means.





Remember when we were a scrawy, puny nation? Before St. Ronnie led us to the gym and whipped us into shape? When all the cool kids were talking about us wasting our money on welfare instead of warfare? Tossing aggregate amounts around asking what we have to show for it? We shifted our resources to the military and away from people programs. Not that we were going to USE the weapons, only that having those rippling abs and biceps would let us score with every babe on the beach?

How's that working out? In the early 80s I was shouting into the abyss that having armies and armaments all dressed up with no place to go would be too tempting to the saber rattlers to resist trotting out to play with. The scoffing and cackling at that potential was pause for concern. Trust us, you'll see, when we're buff, the world will respect FEAR us. In the mid to late 80s, when my nightmares began to unfold, its justifications were as nonsensical as the "peace through strength" meme had been. But there's no time right NOW to ponder rationales, "TRUST US, when this is over we'll show you the error in your thinking". Their answer was to make sure it was never over. The next newest threat was another democrat hell bent on making us puny again by ignoring our National Security! The compromise reached was to hound and impeach that President so no credit could be taken for the adjustments that actually paid for our adventures through relatively sound fiscal policies. This was no way to destroy Social Security or let Medicare "wither on the vine" or further close the wealth loop... It just didn't serve conservative ideals to have a seemingly functional government capable of reducing debt and building surpluses. Oh noes! We can't possibly allow a street to be paved or a bridge be rebuilt unless we allow "the market" to control who can use that street or cross that bridge. After all, that is what America is all about right Right? The Market is awesome. It can fly! It can levitate. It can function without connection to earthy realities.

This fundamental denial of the laws of a physical universe is the fatal flaw in the incomplete thinking of the Opposite World dogma. It denies that the very things it is sure must be eliminated are the bedrock upon which their dreams are built. They've been convinced that everybody is out to take what they've attained through ONLY their own true grit. And that if everybody just did as they have they too will find Randian utopia. All the good outcomes are due to their absolutely infallible ideology. All of the bad is the fault of non-believers. In short, their way of life is consequence free, waste free, and non-polluting.

Our national security begins at home. Our productivity HAS to FIRST make sure that the footings are stable. That should mean reinforcing the foundation and frameworks, not undermining it or especially not hacking away at key components of the structural integrity.
I don't care what sort of faith-based force field you believe in, without a stable base, there will be no skyscrapers.

Theodore Geissel explained all that in Yertle the Turtle. We really do live in Salamasond. Believe THAT!


Yertle the Turtle by MistyIsland1