SPEAK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG DRIVER

 

Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote in reference to foreign policy was actually; “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”. His policy was to use diplomacy backed by strength to protect and sustain our national interests abroad.

A somewhat less known quote of the former president’s appeared in the Kansas City Star edition of May 7, 1918 where he commented on the presidency; “The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than anyone else.”

The two pictures set beside each other on the evening news Friday were in stark contrast. Putin was pictured practicing with an automatic pistol at a shooting range while beside him President Obama wore golf attire and prepared to address a ball with his driver. The world is full of bad actors who know that the leader of this country is all words and no action. China, North Korea, Syria, Russia, Iran and Egypt not to mention Iraq and Afghanistan have provided all the proof the world needs to know that our president is asleep at the wheel. Bad things are coming America and the hopeless mess at the state department courtesy of Ms. Clinton and now John Kerry reinforce the hollowness of the administrations words every time they interact with other nations where our interests or those of our allies are at risk. It is even apparent that you can kill American citizens abroad including the Presidents own representative without fear of consequences. We have a lawless narco state to the South that shares a long and very poorly defended border with us that the department of homeland security chooses to virtually ignore and in fact when states try to protect the border our own Justice Department brings suit against the states to prevent them from protecting their citizens. I have been very critical of the administration’s foreign policy so it is only fair that I should give credit where credit is due and list their domestic policy successes. The problem is that there are no domestic policy successes either. It is time for the President to get out of the arena or be thrown out of the arena.

I will end this post with Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “The man in the arena”; “It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

We have the wrong men and women in the arena America.