Dakota Beacon

One of the main messages sent by the American people to the Inside-the-Beltway crowd this past election, was, “You just don’t get it.”  Given what we have heard about the upcoming lame duck session, and what is happening in the world, it is obvious they still do not get it.

One of President Obama’s main priorities, for the lame duck session, is ramming the new START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) through before the new Senate convenes in January.   We hear endlessly about the need for bipartisanship as it relates to foreign and defense policy.  Unfortunately, the mad dash to jam through this flawed treaty belies the call for bipartisanship. 

The START treaty was crafted by the Russians and Mr. Putin.  It is the culmination of decades of Russian attempts to hamstring our military and neutralize our technological advantages.  At the very least, the Treaty needs to be thoroughly scrutinized by the Senate and by the American people.  And, it should be examined and gone over in detail by the Senate that will be seated in 2011, not by a discredited Senate body that the people rejected in November. 

Our dealings with Russia and China, also, need to be examined, in detail, by the new Congress.  Chinese and Russian arms are killing our troops in Afghanistan; China’s client state, North Korea, has attacked South Korean territory and killed civilians and soldiers.  Iran, which is building its nuclear weapons capacity, thanks to Russian advisors and equipment, has thumbed its nose at the United States repeatedly.  Iran and North Korea are in a mad dash, aided by Russia and China, to develop, not only weapons of destruction, but, also, the means to deliver them.  If they get the means to deliver these weapons, it will only take 33 minutes to deliver a nuclear weapon to our country.  

There is no question that we must deal with Russia and China, but it must be from a position of strength, not from a demonstrated weakness of will and action.   The Administration and the current Congress have demonstrated an unwillingness to defend our interests and the interests of our most important allies. 

Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify.”   This Administration, so far, has shown far too much trust, and far too little verify.

Brian P. Kalk

U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

N.D. Public Service Commissioner