Here are some questions to pose to candidates seeking the presidency, particularly President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Why does it seem impossible to solve the most important challenges facing the nation?
Throughout American history, the country has been able to come together, especially in times of crisis. Today, that seems unlikely. More than 60 years ago, when the Senate included Sens. Lyndon Johnson (D-Texas), Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), and Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.).providedAnd that was 40 years ago when Congressman Tip O'Neill was there.speaker of the housedespite significant policy differences, it is possible to break through partisanship.
LBJcontributed toDirksen's re-election campaign.Mr. O'Neill and President Ronald ReaganYou might be able to drink alcohol at the White House..
Currently, the chances of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and President Biden sharing anything are ruled out. And even if Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) becomes majority leader after the November election, his relationship with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.N.Y.) is unlikely to be warm. .
Think about immigration, energy, gun safety, and defense.
Although the numbers are not entirely accurate when it comes to immigration, 10.5 million The United States is home to illegal immigrants, and more and more people are crossing the border every day. But Congress has not taken serious action on immigration policy. 1986. Is there anyone who can come up with a common-sense immigration policy that can win a majority of votes in both houses of Congress?
The same applies to energy.Why can't countries create realistic energy plans? policy Create a strategy and path forward for transitioning away from fossil fuels based on a thorough understanding of all the issues in this process? That means technologies such as nuclear power, carbon sequestration, and clean energy will play a major role. about it.
Citizens also have gunsproblem. Certain guns have no place in society with large magazines that can be easily converted to fire hundreds of rounds per minute. Wouldn't it be wise to limit these weapons of war?
However, none of these measured approaches have been achievable so far. And that's not the only problem.
Consider national security and defense.the currentnational defense strategyThe nation will spend about $900 billion over the next year, but this is not “.achievable, affordable, or “manageable”” which means we cannot hire enough people to meet our service needs. This strategy calls for the United States to compete against and deter “great power” China, and if deterrence fails, be defeated or victorious.Pacing threat”, and Russia is”serious threat” but also Iran, North Korea, and extremism.
Competition has never been clearly defined. Neither China nor Russia has been deterred from expanding their influence, and Russia has not stopped its two invasions of Georgia and Ukraine. And anyone who thinks they can win a thermonuclear war needs to take a hard look at their heads.
Because real annual costs are not controlledgrowthRates of 5 to 7 percent occur on everything from precision weapons to pencils to personnel to inflation, as well as the corrosive effects of continued budget resolutions that impose massive inefficiencies.90 billion dollarsI need it to catch up. And as a matter of fact, his three largest branches of the military are:fail in recruitmentThere are enough people to fill the ranks.
why? This is the dilemma of democracy. The United States cannot find reasonable solutions, much less solutions to its most pressing domestic problems. Overseas, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza cannot be controlled by anyone but the belligerents.
Biden is the greatestchallengeWhat the United States and its friends and partners face is a cosmic battle between democracy and tyranny. Unfortunately, the president is wrong. The biggest battle today is whether democracy can provide adequate government for the governed. History shows that dictatorships never seem to end well. Remember the USSR?
When it comes to democracy, Greece and Rome failed, but only in the last decade or so has the failure and prospect of failure of democratic governments become so serious. Some may joke that Italy and France have governments that fail repeatedly. But in America today, that's no laughing matter. And it is the strongest criticism of all that Biden and Trump are the best people we can find to fill the highest office in this country.
what will you do? No one knows. The first step is that most Americans must recognize that we are close to or in the extremist ranks. The main cause of this political crisis isExtremeleft and right.
Until it's fixed at the polls, Americans need to worry.
Harlan Ullman is a senior advisor to the Atlantic Council and the primary author of the “Shock and Awe” military doctrine. His 12th book, The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD: How Massive Attacks of Disruption Became the Pooming Existential Danger to a Divided Nation and the World at General, is available for purchase on Amazon. You can reach him on Twitter @harlankullman.
