Uncategorized

A Sobering Thought on this Independence Day

Source; Adobe Acrobat Stock Images

The image above of Theodore Roosevelt, rifle in hand and in front of the Rough Rider flag, evokes not only the past and continuing sacrifice of our servicemen and women on the battlefield, but also a deeper question about our commitment to America. James Strock, a director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, asks this question in his Substack column this morning – Would you have signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing the probability that you would lose your life, fortune and sacred honor as a result? Several signatories did die in the Revolutionary War, others lost all of their property and all were considered traitors by many of their neighbors who remained loyal to the British. For his part, TR left a cushy Washington appointment to fight in the Spanish American War and his advocacy of progressive ideals made him an outcast among his social class.

Such sacrifice and bravery has powered this nation from the beginning and will always be necessary to preserve it, and not only through active service in the military. As we celebrate our independence today, let us remember all of their sacrifices and find a way we can do the same to support the effort to make America ” a more perfect Union”. God bless America and Happy Independence Day!

2022 Election, Foreign Policy, Politics, Uncategorized

2022 American Nationalist Voting Index – Speaking Softly

The foreign policy debate has been dominated by the reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effect on our relations with the rest of the world. As I mentioned here, TR’s heart, soul and perhaps body would have been with the Ukrainians as they defend their independence against Vladimir Putin’s brutal attack. However, a realist foreign policy would recognize that the US and the world have other important interests as well (see this previous post). It is not appeasement to keep the door open to the potential for negotiations for a peaceful end to the war, if simply because this is how almost all wars end. Meanwhile, the challenge of China and Central American stability potentially impact the American future as much, if not more, than the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

The most important foreign policy issue, though, arises here at home.  TR was a strong proponent of presidential power, but the abuse of the war power by recent presidents has led us into forever wars far afield from our core interests. Our continued involvement in Iraq is a classic example.  The House has considered a resolution to finally repeal the Bush Administration’s 2003 Authorization for use of Military Force under the War Powers Resolution.  The only record vote occurred in the House of Representatives and can be found here

https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2021172

The resolution needs to be strengthened to prevent further abuses (see here), but cleaning up the past excesses is at least a start. 

Not much further from home lies the instability in Central America, which has fueled the immigration crisis. Congress passed a bill to address one aspect of the crisis through strengthening the fight against corruption in Nicaragua, which the former Sandinista guerrilla leader Daniel Ortega has turned into a family dictatorship. Those votes can be found at

S 1064 – Reinforcing monitoring of corruption & Human rights in Nicaragua

https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2021354

The oppression of China’s Uighur minority is just one example of Chinese President Xi Jin-Peng’s increasingly dictatorial rule. Indeed, it is not only a symbol of the brutality of the regime, but also its cynical mercantilist economic policy to monopolize the solar power and clean energy industries (see my previous post on the subject here).  HR 6256 imposes importation limits on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially in the Xinjiang Uighur Region, and imposes sanctions related to such forced labor. It was passed by a unanimous voice vote in both the Senate and the House and has been signed by the President. It is one of the few examples of when politics did stop at the water’s edge, enabling Congress to act across party lines to defend both human rights and our own economic strength.

Uncategorized

Happy Birthday, TR

Today we mark the 164th birthday of Theodore Roosevelt, who was born this day in New York City. He remains one of the few American presidents born and raised in a major metropolitan area. His experience as a cowboy in North Dakota and as a Rough Rider in the Spanish American War taught him to appreciate the life and values of rural America as well. He spent his political career trying to find the commonality between these diverse lives and unify them as a nation. As we celebrate his birthday, let us all dedicate ourselves to this goal and seek to truly realize our nation’s motto of ”e pluribus unum” – out of the many, one.