It Comes Down to Leadership

The United States of America is under threat, both domestic and foreign. Strong and morally righteous leadership is needed now more than ever to confront the challenges that are eating away at our economy, security, and moral fiber of the nation.

Ignoring Domestic Threats

• National Debt Spiral

Our national debt of $34 trillion is the equivalent of $100,000 of debt for every man, woman, and child in this country. Nassim Nicholas Talib, who predicted the 2008 financial crisis and is the author of the bestseller The Black Swan, now says the U.S. is heading into a “death spiral” over the national debt, where the interest payments will end up destroying our economy and country.

• Overrun Borders

The U.S. borders are being overrun by millions of illegal immigrants. Yet, while the majority of Americans see nothing less than an “invasion” at the southern border, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could remove the razor wire that Texas installed to try and stem the tide.

• Rising homelessness and poverty

Homelessness rose to over 650,000 people in the U.S. in 2023. On top of this, more than 12% of the U.S. population lives below the poverty line, and 13% don’t have enough to eat. On top of this, we see urban decay, with our cities becoming increasingly dirty, decrepit, and violent. Look no further than the neighborhood malls, where “flash mobs” overrun security, running out the doors with merchandise in tow.

• Violent Pro-Hamas Terrorist Protests

There are now regular hateful, violent pro-Hamas terrorist protests across major cities and university campuses in the U.S. and globally. However, while some European countries have cracked down on these vile anti-Semitic protesters, we see these unhinged, genocidal protests in support of U.S.-designated terror organizations continue to erupt in the U.S. with obstruction of traffic, destruction of property, and harassment and violence against counter-protesters, politicians, and even the police, who presumably have been ordered to stand down.

• Wokeism and DEI: Reverse Discrimination and Hate

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) sound good in theory, yet it has at times been overtaken by woke radicalism, which sees anyone who is not the oppressed as the oppressor, resulting too often in a movement of resentment, hate, reverse discrimination, and racism.

Appeasing Foreign Threats

• Russia’s Proxy War Against NATO

The war in Ukraine with Russia has been going on for almost two years, and make no mistake, it is a proxy war with NATO. Despite a massive infusion of weapons and funds for Ukraine to the tune of $122 billion, Western support shows signs of falling short even as Russia continues to hold 20% of Ukraine and they remain resolute in their military adventurism that encroaches on the very defensive boundaries of NATO.

• China’s Determination to Breakout as a Superpower

China is determined to reunify with Taiwan and employ force if necessary. Essentially, China wants to break out of the South China Island Chain, which it feels imprisons it from becoming a true superpower economically and militarily. The U.S. continues to waffle by saying they support reunification and a one-China policy but will defend Taiwan if China attacks. China continues to build up its military forces, including nuclear weapons, while the U.S. prepares reluctantly for a major Pacific war.

• Iran’s “Axis of Evil”

There have been more than 100 Iranian-sponsored terror attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East just since October, with the latest one resulting in 3 deaths and over 30 wounded, and the U.S. deterrence continues to erode as we conduct preannounced, retaliatory strikes that avoid actually confronting and hitting the source of the attacks, Iran. This is in addition to Iran’s pursuit of “the bomb” and the U.S. coddling the Ayatollah with side-stepped inspections and sanctions while we release billions of dollars that fund their malevolent arch of terrorism against the West.

• Houthi Attacks on Freedom of Navigation

The Houthis have attacked more than 29 ships in the Red Sea, where 12% of global shipping passes. Despite U.S. retaliatory strikes, the Houthis say they are not deterred. This past week, a Houthi cruise missile was narrowly intercepted using an onboard Phalanx Gatling gun, a line of last defense, just seconds before it would’ve stricken a U.S. Navy destroyer. The U.S. continues to act with restraint here, like with Iran, not wanting to confront another escalation in the Middle East.

• Terror Threats against Ally and Friend, Israel

After the horrific Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, where 1,200 Israelis were ruthlessly raped, tortured, and murdered, and another 240 were abducted, Israel is confronted by a multi-front war from Hamas in the south, Hezbollah in the north, the Houthis in the east, and of course, all trained, armed, and supported by the #1 global terrorist sponsor, Iran. While the U.S. has stood strongly with Israel throughout most of this and the hostages are still not all released, pressure is building from the U.S. for a reduction in Israeli military strikes and a pullback from Gaza, with the U.S. now threatening to recognize a Palestinian state as well as imposing sanctions on some Israeli settlers in Judea and Samaria.

In the face of all these domestic and foreign threats, the U.S. is challenged with evoking across-the-board strong leadership. Aside from a Congress that remains bitterly divided and fighting each other with investigations and impeachments at every turn, we have an electorate that says they are unsure about the presidential candidates from whom they must choose to lead us for the next four, likely extremely pivotal years.

While surely all decent, patriotic American people want to see the United States continue as a beacon of freedom and leadership in the world, the problems this country is facing both internally and externally are wearing down our ability to cope with them. From our economy to our border and national security, from our universities to our urban centers, from radical wokeism to vile protests overcome with hate, racism, and violence, our nation is threatened perhaps like never before.

While there are many factors that contribute to our national success, certainly if we are going to be able to confront the challenges we face both at home and abroad, we must have strong and courageous leadership. Not only to unite us but also to evoke our very best, we need leadership that commands respect from both left and right, with a mighty and passionate vision that moves us not only to farseeing human progress but equally to moral righteousness. With this, we can instill pride in both who we are and where we are going and not be in fear of what’s threatening our streets or our shores anymore.