LOVE PEOPLE, NOT COUNTRIES
Another Mistake of the Left
Where did anyone get the idea that the goal of a nation is to be loved by other countries? Why does it scare politicians if a country says they hate America? This concept makes no sense, but it forces those who believe it to bend a knee to other countries, hoping to change hearts and minds. Instead, the best posture for a strong nation is to be feared. Though it might not be accurate, many stories relating to WWII say the Japanese didn’t want to send troops into the US because, “They all have guns.” Being feared as a nation is good. When a country is considered dangerous to invade, the only option left is free and open trade, which translates to good outcomes on both sides.
President Obama went out of his way to court world leaders with absolutely no benefit to our country. Biden is making the same mistake, but is perceived as far weaker than Obama. I suspect that had Obama had a 9/11 or similar incident, he would have marshalled a decent response, no longer caring whether Iran or China hated us. But the Bidens are in deep with both Russia and China. Fearing the loss of influence and revenue, Biden had to be dragged into the Ukraine fight.
A Perspective from History (and my personal experience)
People don’t invade Switzerland (which, by the way, abandoned neutrality for the first time to support the Ukraine.) It’s not just the mountainous terrain. Countries fear the heavily armed citizenry. Hitler never considered incorporating Switzerland into his Lebensraum vision. China has long prospered based on the fact that its huge population allows them to throw millions into battle without worrying about running out of troops. Name one country (other than the US under Democrats) where the leaders seek to be loved. Go ahead; I’d be happy to be proved wrong.
But interestingly, the fear of a country doesn’t translate into individuals hating each other. On a trip to Egypt for scuba diving, we ran into someone who asked us how we felt about George Bush. I turned the tables and asked, “How do you feel about Mubarak?” We both laughed and noted that “we are not our political leaders.” I have found the same sensibility and attitude in all my travels. We aren’t the countries we come from and in most cases, have more in common than we have differences. That’s what makes travel fun. The opportunity to learn about a culture through friendships with residents is a huge part of why I travel. I don’t prejudge a country or its people, except to determine if an American traveling there.
Strong Leaders Make Countries Safe
Putin didn’t make any inroads into the Ukraine while Trump was President. Why? He knew it wouldn’t turn out well. And if not for the amazing strength and support from Europe, Putin might well have a cake walk taking the country over. Now, reluctantly, Biden is coming on board with sanctions, but had they been clearly threatened by us before the invasion started, lives would have been saved. Instead, the “greatest power” in the world has to rely on allies to do the right thing.
People feared Hitler and while his policies were dreadful, he was seen as a strong leader. We don’t need a Hitler to run our country; just a leader who understands our power in the world order and doesn’t take s—t from anyone. We don’t go hat in hand and beg people to like us. We don’t make bad deals with Iran on nuclear weapons because we want them to like us. Muslim nations will never like the US. There is absolutely nothing we can do to change this. But we want them to fear us and leave us alone.
The Abraham Accords (under Trump) was a brilliant strategy for solving Middle East issues. Instead of trying to get the Palestinians on board, he sought out people who wanted to trade with Israel, a nation leading the way in IT and medicine. Eventually, many countries will join this pact for their own self-interest. Strong leaders understand how to deal and when to leave the table because the offer is insufficient.
Next time you go to the polls, think about the Ukraine. They had made a deal with Russia—they gave up all their nukes with a promise never to be invaded. They trusted that Putin would honor it. He didn’t. He’s a strong leader who needs counterbalance from the rest of the world.
I’m providing a link to what the world is doing to help the Ukraine—check it out. It will make you smile. The World Helps The Ukraine
