With the current presidential race approaching its climax, voters are swamped with messages and news focusing on abortion, cat-eating, and arguments about which candidate has the biggest crowds. All the accompanying noise distracts us from the most important presidential responsibility: protecting our homeland.
Illegal immigration has, more deservedly, also received important attention. As much as the Biden-Harris administration tries to spin things, the many millions of illegals swarming into our country create enormous security threats. The numbers speak for themselves. And while they are loath to admit it, Democrats are soft on illegal immigration because they see it as a means to increase their power. They see the millions of new bodies as future Democrat voters. They seek to provide these newcomers with government benefits and driver’s licenses to allow them access to voter registration. It is what it is.
But, again, our commander in chief’s top responsibility is national security. And to provide such, a president not only needs to support border security, but also our military capabilities. And our military is increasingly hollow.
Consider our navy, which is now a far cry from the 600-ship force that Ronald Reagan sought. We now have around 275 ships, many of which need overhauling. But of equal concern is the fact that we don’t have the personnel necessary to crew even this shrunken fleet. Last year the Navy missed its recruiting goal by almost 8,000 sailors! And the Army faces similar shortfalls.
Why?
Part of the reason is that many young people are not inspired to join an organization which, under the Democrats, has become increasingly woke with a disturbing focus on “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “climate change” as opposed to warfighting and power projection.
Consider a Kamala Harris speech at a Naval Academy commencement. To our midshipmen she emphasized the importance of using “wind and solar energy” to create “combat power.” She warned the Annapolis crowd that “our carbon emissions threaten the sustainability of the whole earth.”
Harris: “Just ask any Marine today, would she rather carry 20 pounds of batteries or a rolled up solar panel, and she will tell you a solar panel!”
Once a Marine, always a Marine, and this Marine is far more concerned about countering military threats from Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea than packing a rolled-up solar panel.
And Harris wants to be commander in chief! The despots from the above countries surely cackle. With several wars ongoing and with ever-more potential flashpoints around the globe, Democrats want to elect someone, who, by far, would be the least qualified commander in chief ever.
To be sure, Donald Trump’s relationship with our military leaders was often strained. But our 45th president did at least attend a military academy and his four years as commander in chief gave him valuable experience and insights concerning a president’s most important charge.
Consider the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal shortly after the Biden-Harris administration took power. The Chinese Communists were quick to point out to Taiwan that the fiasco showed that America can’t be trusted.
I was part of a legislative delegation that visited Taiwan last year, and yes, the people on that prosperous island of freedom rightly hope that any American president has a high level of competency regarding power projection vis-à-vis those western Pacific flashpoints.
We need a commander in chief who’ll effectively address the armed forces recruiting crisis. One who can rebuild our military infrastructure. One that adversaries won’t be tempted to dangerously test and exploit.
It is not hyperbolic to state that our national security—and perhaps our very lives—depends on electing the best possible commander in chief.
We need to worry more about ships and sailors and less about solar panels.
