A Conservative Viewpoint - Playing Politics With National Security

Article by Bob Steinburg
- Edenton, North Carolina: Cradle of the Colony

There are those abroad who hate or resent America. The reasons are varied but generally it revolves around the disparity of national wealth, prosperity and influence we have with the rest of the world.

America continues to be a magnanimous nation. We’ve shed blood to guarantee the freedom of other nations. We’ve helped rebuild countries that were our enemies. We should be proud of our benevolent legacy, in spite of the occasional ingratitude.

But America is not perfect. We’ve made mistakes and sometimes stick our nose where it doesn’t belong. No matter how well intentioned our motives, we have been prone at times to act, either because of bad intelligence, as some would argue in the case of our entry into the Iraq War, or out of our innate fundamental instinct to help those in distress. America’s overall goodness however, will continue to be scorned by those who view individual freedoms, liberties and opportunity differently.

While resentment and anger come primarily from elsewhere, it’s also being bred from within. Liberals frequently resort to demonizing the opposition, even to the point of putting our national security at risk.

Liberals are aided by elements of the mainstream media. Instead of objective and unbiased news gathering and reporting, their message often reflects an orchestrated echo chamber of liberal bias. Media outlets like MSNBC, CNN and the New York Times are losing viewers and subscribers in droves. Apparently folks aren’t buying the liberal message they’re peddling. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations and Nielsen Media Research, the only two major news sources continuing to grow are the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.

Last week the Times displayed an editorial cartoon depicting the Statue of Liberty holding in her raised hand a whip, replacing the torch she has held as a beacon to freedom seeking people since 1884. The snapping whip seems to suggest that America is an angry and vengeful nation; a vision often reflected in liberal ideology.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. recently said on MSNBC, “The world has changed. The old Reagan philosophy that served conservatives well politically from 1980 to about 2004 and 2006 is over. But the hard right, which still believes in traditional values kind of arguments and strong foreign policy, all that is over.”

While the Times, Schumer and others on the left were busy beating up on America, another event was taking place in Pakistan. The Taliban, in the name of radical Islam, riddled a man and woman accused of adultery with more than thirty bullets; firing at them round after round, long after their bodies had fallen limp. This is the stark contrast between the ideals and justice system of a free nation built on conservative Judeo-Christian values and those radical Islamic terrorists who seek to submit us to their ruthless ideology.

President Barack Obama was advised by four previous CIA Directors, including current Director Leon Panetta, to oppose the release of photos and tapes revealing enhanced interrogation techniques used on known and suspected terrorists. But apparently Obama is considering doing so anyway. The far left wing of his party is so contemptuous toward George W. Bush and his former administration that they will stop at nothing to further demonize them.

Our enemies will use this national security information as a recruiting tool to further fuel the hatred of America. Our soldiers, diplomats and tourists will now be placed at additional risk because of vengeful politics. The left's ulterior motive is to permanently marginalize the GOP, destroy the two- party system of government and pave the way toward a liberal oligarchy.

Many Americans unfortunately don’t understand the kind of enemy we’re facing. Terrorists will do whatever necessary to achieve radical world-wide Islamic dominance. Any tactic, no matter how heinous, is acceptable. Yet our military and intelligence agencies are now restricted to the Army Field Manual, which allows us to secure from terrorist captives only their names and country of origin since they have no rank or serial number. Our intelligence gathering capabilities have been diminished, putting all American lives at risk.

Enhanced interrogation techniques have been used since the dark days following 9-11. They include water boarding, sleep deprivation, loud music and other non- life threatening techniques. These tactics have yielded information that has saved American lives. In a perfect world these interrogation methods would be unacceptable. But we are facing an enemy that wants nothing less than to kill us.

Michael Scheuer, an author and a 22- year veteran of the CIA and former head of the Osama bin-Laden desk, was a witness to the enhanced interrogation techniques used against terrorist captives. Scheuer was an Iraq War / Bush critic. Yet he states unequivocally that the information garnered as a result of these procedures saved American lives, not once, but on many occasions.

The Washington Post reported in 2007 that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Ca. and three other members of a bi-partisan Congressional group met in secret with the CIA in 2002. They viewed the harsh techniques that were being used to extract vital information from terrorist detainees. For Pelosi and others on the left to now sanctimoniously feign outrage by disavowing any prior knowledge, while at the same time considering retribution against the previous administration who used these methods to save American lives, is the height of arrogance, hypocrisy and stupidity.

Playing politics with national security is a dangerous game. But apparently that’s exactly what some on the left have decided to do. Yet one wonders how far a liberal would go to save the life of a loved one threatened by a terrorist. Would he or she act beyond the restrictions imposed by the Army Field Manual? I think so. And that’s what makes this entire episode nothing more than a sordid partisan witch hunt.

Barack Obama has a nice smile and comes across as a moderate easy going guy. This is totally misleading. Read his biographies (he has already written two at his very young age, a key sign of his narcissistic self absorption) and you find a different person though. He blandly acknowledges that he always liked to hang out with the people who hated and despised America. He found them to be his kind of people. Too many have already forgotten the Jeremiah Wright episode when he was caught ranting "God damn America!"

No matter what he says, this is the real Barack Obama. He hates our troops, the CIA, anyone who believes that abortion is wrong, anyone who thinks that the money they earn is theirs by right, anyone who dares disagree with him on anything.

His vitriolic denunciation of the creditors of Chrysler for daring to complain about getting 5% value for their secured debts while the union was given 76% value for their unsecured debt, is the rant of an evil and vindictive human being. Our contract law is clear that secured debts get preference over unsecured debts. However Barack Obama does not care. If a union gave him campaign contributions, Barack Obama will ignore law and pay back his supporters. This is the Chicago way. Law be damned.

Bob has noted a similar problem with his desire to demonize all Republicans. Barack Obama does not care the cost to our nation. National Security means nothing to Barack Obama. His personal whims are far more important to the narcissist we have elected to the most powerful position in the world.