THE ELECTION IS OVER…NOW IT IS TIME TO RESOLVE AMERICA’S MANY CRISES: FRANK VERNUCCIO
The 2014 elections are over, and the work of actually resolving America’s many crises must begin. Delay is unacceptable.
The essential linchpin of the American economy is a healthy middle class. A combination of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, the increased costs to businesses and consumers alike of Obamacare, heightened fuel prices, and the loss of steady jobs has wreaked havoc with this vital group.
Taxes on middle income families must be lowered. Policies that have discouraged the creation of middle class jobs, including Obamacare mandates and corporate tax policies that have sent businesses overseas must be repealed.
The U.S. balance of trade continues to see far too many dollars going overseas. It is time to keep those dollars home. The most rapid way of doing that is making the nation truly energy independent. Lands under federal control must finally be opened for energy exploitation. Also, attempts to limit other energy sources, including coal, must stop.
The most imminent threat is the dramatic deterioration of America’s defense posture during the past several years. This has occurred have at the same time that Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran have dramatically built up both the size and sophistication of their forces. Also, it is irresponsible to not deploy a comprehensive anti-missile policy.
These are crises whose solutions cannot be postponed.
The Alienated Generation
College students throughout America have exhibited an inexplicable degree of tolerance towards overbearing university officials and professors who have all too frequently acted to suppress differences of opinion toward the prevailing campus orthodoxy.
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) notes that “Many schools stifle free speech on campus. ACTA partnered with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education to assess the state of free speech on campus. Of the institutions that have ratings from FIRE, less than 4 percent receive a “green light” rating for not threatening free speech. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) garner a “red light” rating, meaning the institution has at least one policy that “clearly and substantially” restricts freedom of speech.”
Why do college students tolerate this? It may have much to do with what they were–and were not–taught in high school, as well as the odd version of American history and civics that they are given in college.
Across the nation, parents, pupils, and others have become deeply concerned over a growing reliance on curricula that provides little reference to topics such as the ground-breaking rights provided in the U.S. Constitution, including free speech, and dwells on biased, highly critical views of the American experience.
America’s educational system is dangerously close to producing a generation that is unfamiliar with their Constitutional rights, and holding an incorrect and highly derogatory view of their own country.
Boom in Energy Spurs Industry in the Rust Belt
(Ted Flint)
A dramatic surge in domestic oil production is transforming the economies of many states across the country. This seismic shift in the fortunes of these once decaying states is directly attributed to hydraulic fracturing. But some states refrain from taking advantage of this bonanza.
NY’s Governor Cuomo is wary of the political fallout from the environmental Left. Although he alleges that “science” will decide the issue, the practical effect of Mr. Cuomo and others opposed to natural gas drilling is to limit Americans’ access to a plentiful and economical source of fuel. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing were responsible for 48 percent of U.S. oil production and trimmed up to $0.94 per gallon from fuel prices in 2013. The industry supports 9.8 million jobs and is responsible for eight percent of the U.S. economy.
Opponents of ‘fracking’ have conveyed the demonstrably incorrect belief that the process contaminates ground water and exposes residents to air pollution. A growing body of evidence debunks this. According to a recent column by Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy Corp., and author of “The Fracking Truth,” Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection monitored numerous fracking sites across the state and found that nearby levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other key pollutants did not exceed federal air quality standards. Similar studies were done in Texas and West Virginia and they reached the same conclusion: oil and gas operations do not endanger air quality.
Smearing Global Warming Critics
In a revealing study, Russell Cook, writing for the Heartland Institute, has disclosed evidence that there has been a significant attempt to deliberately discredit scientists who provide credible, accurate data casting doubt on the theory that human activity has caused global warming.
According to Cook’s study, entitled “Merchants of Smear,” “For about two decades we’ve been told the science behind human-caused global warming is settled, and to ignore skeptic scientists because they’ve been paid by industry to manufacture doubt about the issue…The truth, however, has every appearance of being exactly the opposite”
According to Cook’s research, acceptance of global warming “survives only in the absence of science-based criticism. Solid science-based skeptic criticism exists, but the public rarely hears about that; they are simply told to ignore allegedly industry-corrupted skeptic scientists.”
The gist of what Cook has discovered is that a concerted effort was made, essentially orchestrated by Al Gore (who has financially profited significantly from global warming activities) to keep significant and accurate data out of the public view. The key method employed to accomplish the cover-up was an attempt to discredit objective scientists by falsely claiming they were linked to energy industry corporations.
Cook believes that the end result of his investigation is that “We are overdue for the biggest ideology collapse in history, begging for an investigation into why the mainstream media and influential politicians apparently never checked the veracity of claims about “settled science” and “corrupt skeptics.”
CHINA’S GROWING SEA POWER ALLIANCES
China’s extraordinary jump to military superpower status has been emphasized both by the quality of its armed forces, its growing list of allies, and its far-ranging naval activities.
Recent announcements from Beijing’s Ministry of National Defense emphasize the growing relationship between China and Iran. Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan met with Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on naval cooperation. According to Defense officials, “Chang said the two armed forces have seen good cooperation on mutual visits, personnel training and other fields in recent years. Exchanges between the two navies have been fruitful and their warships have paid successful visits to each other. Chang stressed China is willing to work with Iran to further pragmatic cooperation and strengthen military-to-military ties. Praising the achievements of the Chinese Navy, Sayyari said Iran attaches great importance to its relationship with China and is ready to enhance bilateral exchanges to push forward cooperation between the two armed forces, especially in naval cooperation.”
The Iranian cooperation followed a recent docking by a Chinese sub in Sri Lanka, a move Beijing described as “routine,” but which demonstrates the growing reach of its navy. It is in the area of submarine warfare that China has progressed most. Beijing’s undersea forces are capable of hitting the U.S., and its subs are now capable of quietly sailing beneath all the world’s oceans. U.S. forces have had great difficulty in detecting the ultra-quiet vessels.
Abandoning East Asia
The image is both iconic and reassuring–an American aircraft carrier on patrol in East Asia, protecting friends, deterring aggressors and criminals, insuring that vital trade routes remain open.
For a while, however, the scene will exist only in historic newsreels. The unprecedented gap will occur when the U.S.S. George Washington returns to America for refitting. No replacement will be provided for at least a third of a year, until the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan becomes available.
The news has been met with distress by American allies in the region. The Japanese news source Asia Nikkei reports that “Security policymakers in Japan and the U.S. are privately voicing concern about the absence of U.S. aircraft carriers from East Asian waters for four months next year…officials fear having no carriers in the region could provide China and North Korea with an opportunity to take military action.”
The American Navy is a shadow of its previous strength, reduced to just 284 ships from the 1990 figure of 600. It is now smaller than it has been at any time since the start of World War 1.
The White House has pursued a budget which will leave the U.S. army with fewer personnel than North Korea’s force. It has not responded in any substantive manner to China’s massive military buildup. It has failed to take even any significant diplomatic steps in response to armed attacks by Russia and China against their neighbors.
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