We are closing in on the year 2011 and I hope that this will mean a new beginning for the U.S. Government. Now that the 2010 election cycle is over, it is my hope that the political posturing will subside and our politicians will get down to business. During the last two months, it seems that the lame duck congress has been hell-bent on passing legislation, often in cases where there should be a great deal more discussion before cramming it through.
A case in point is the START treaty. Without getting into the fine points of the treaty, we need to realize that this is an agreement on nuclear weapons. The U.S. has a lot to lose in terms of security if we are hand-cuffed by this deal with the Russians. Trust but verify is certainly what Ronald Reagan called for back in the Cold War. But since then, Russia (no longer the USSR) has certainly fallen on military hard times, with ships and submarines rusting away, and nuclear capabilities falling behind. A Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty plays into the hands of Russia more than the U.S. The treaty's details could not have been adequately discussed, nor could they have been sufficiently revealed to the public. It is certainly good political theater for Congress to cram this treaty through for the President's signature by claiming that it is vital to our security. It may be, but is it so vital that it must be rushed through in the waning weeks of a lame duck congress? Whatever POLITICAL gain that may be won by signing this treaty is shallow if we forsake real discussion of a nuclear arms deal.
This new year could either be a continuation of destructive political posturing or the beginning of a more sober treatment of major issues. Both parties need to stay focused on the greater good and the survival of our nation. The playing field abroad has changed dramatically over the last decade. I fear for the direction of our nation if the sole motivation is political gain. I am not so naive as to believe that politics has not played a role in the critical decisions of past administrations, but it is certainly amplified in the present one. The political shift toward the Republicans has pushed the President and the lame-duck Democrats to shoot for last minute gains before a change in the House. Time will tell if this eagerness for victory has cost the American people their lives.
