European Superiority

IN THE BAHAMAS ON BUSINESS

I have to admit my feathers got ruffled after reading the last issue of the Economist. Basically, the lead article stated that America was once a great country and if she just admitted that the Europeans were right and followed their model, she could be great again. Socialism, appeasement, and impotence will take you down the righteous path.


That being said - there are some things we need to learn from. Such as, straying from your principals to maintain and benefit from power will only destroy your party as well as your country. The principals of self- reliance, limited government, peace through strength, low taxes, and entrepreneurship are the only way out of the fix we find ourselves in. The party that promotes that agenda is the only party that has a chance of restoring the greatness of this country.



I flew Ted Stevens around the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound in Alaska as a young Air Force helicopter pilot. I remember thinking he was arrogant. What a waste and what a disaster for our party.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Worth Reading

I hate to give the NYT any publicity - but hiring Bill Kristol is the best thing they have done in a long time - this one is worth reading.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/opinion/28kristol.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I Don't Trust Him

So Obama returns from Europe and says that everyone now agrees with his position on withdrawal from Iraq - 16 months in 2010. But wait - not so fast - today he says the "Withdrawal will depend on conditions on the ground."

He must think (and maybe he's right) that the majority of Americans are uninformed and gullible.

He was against the surge to win the war - fought against it - now that it is successful and we can begin withdrawing troops - he says - "see everyone agrees with me."

And now he says it depends on conditions on the ground - WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN BUSH AND MCCAINS POSITION!

This guy is so wishy-washy I don't know what he stands for or believes in - it certainly is not victory for our country - it most certainly is his election to the presidency.

A citizen of the world? Probably

A proud patriotic strong leader of the free world? I don't think so.

I don't trust him.

Fighting the Last War

Surpisingly, I read something of interest the other day from the Obama campaign. The issue was preparing for the next threat to the United States and not the most recent. Obviously this possible threat would be a resurgent Russia or a rising China. The question is - are we spending all of our resources fighting the current low intensity conflict while ignoring the strategic and conventional threat from the mentioned tyrannical regimes?

I have to admit - in my previous life as a special operations helicopter pilot in an Air Force run by the fighter mafia, I had no love lost for arrogant fighter pilots that knew nothing that went on under 30,000 feet. In the last few decades, we prepared for the large strategic threat and ignored low intinsity conflict to our detrament; the results of which we have seen in Iraq. Now I fear we have gone too far the other way. We have an historical tendancy to train and support fighting current threats while ignoring the future.

I believe we need to maintain the capability to prosecute and win two wars on a global scale. One of those should be a conventional conflict against a large and possibly nuclear oponent.

This could mean devoting a larger share of our defense budget to buying F-22s, a larger navy and conventional army, in addition to fighting a low-intensity conflict in a place like Iraq.

This will take money and willpower that perhaps the United States does not have right now; however, not following this path could have disastrous consequences in the future.

Oil and the Markets

I get very frustrated when I hear people talk about those evil speculators in the oil markets supposedly driving the price of oil higher for no reason and ripping off poor unsuspecting consumers. There are several market truths that the public needs to be educated on.

1. Speculation is good - it provides liquidity in the market - you have to have someone to take the other side of your trade - the more people involved in the market the better.

2. The market is the best mechanism for setting the price of oil - not the government - the market is telling us the price needs to be higher - that the fundementals in the oil market have changed drastically.

3. Higher oil prices are actually forcing the development of alternative sources of energy which is a good thing.

4. The dependence of the U.S. on foreign sources of energy is bad - the sending of trillions of dollars to other nations and running an unsustainable current account deficit because of it is a national security issue.

Americans need to stop whining and save gas if they don't like the price - or find another mode of transporation. That will bring down the price and also help our national security situation.

I am hopeful that this fuel crisis (if it is one) will force the hand of the U.S. to use its intellectual capital to develop the next wave of innovation in the energy markets and make back some of those dollars.


By the way - McCain/Obama tied - that is good news - please contribute.

Change

IN BERMUDA ON BUSINESS

Being out of the country often gives you a different perspective on the American political landscape - you see the US from an outsider's point of view and you also see their reaction to events that unfold.

Although they may criticize and talk about the US with scorn, I believe most foreigners (at least the developed world) rely on the US to do the heavy work in the world for them. They expect that they can always count on Uncle Sam to solve the world's problems while they complain about the US doing that very thing. Secretly, at heart, they want America to be strong so they don't have to be.

I am starting to sense genuine concern overseas about Barak Obama. The world is already worried about his protectionist leanings. Today, I heard many comments from business colleagues here in Bermuda (mostly English, Canadians, and natives) about the Obama surrogates attempting to discredit McCain's military service. The main comment was, "How can his campaign say these things when Obama never served? It is so arrogant and dishonest." Or, "McCain was being tortured and was given an opportunity to leave - he stayed with his comrades for several more years! Obama sounds like he would do anything to get elected - you can't trust him."

Now I am hearing that Obama is laying the groundwork to flip on Iraq as well - in addition to FISA, campaign finance, town hall meetings, etc. etc.

Who would you want in the Oval Office - a person who while being tortured made the decision to stay? (go ahead and break my arms again for a few more years - I'm not leaving without my fellow prisoners).

Or a person who obviously will do anything, say anything and risk anything to further himself and get elected?

That is the change he is promising - he will change, flip flop, and do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Who cares what is the right thing to do.

I think Obama would have left the Hanoi Hilton in a heartbeat.