AFA Members, Congressional Staffers, Civic Leaders, DOCA members, a while back I wrote, in concern, about my worries over the rising national debt. That this is a national security issue is without question. Last fiscal year, the interest on our $12 trillion debt was over $380 B. As the debt and interest rates rise, it will squeeze defense spending. A very good editorial on this can be found on our website at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704429304574467071019099570.html
Secondly, this week Tom Friedman's editorial in the NY Times was a bit unusual. In it he recommends what President Obama should say at his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech … and he pays tribute to the great men and women who are defending our freedom. The editorial can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11friedman.html?_r=1&em
Finally, a small piece in the NY Post caught my attention. It pays tribute to two of our fallen warriors, who gave their last full measure. It turns out they were not killed in Iraq or Afghanistan … but in the Philippines … by Abu Sayyaf, an ally of Al Qaeda. This should remind us all of the global nature of terrorism … and what the stakes are in battling this scourge. You can find the article on our website at: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/american_heroes_EjJqzluXBnII6MqVHJNwuL
For your consideration,
Mike
Michael M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association
Monday, October 19, 2009
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5 comments:
Last night, I attended a poorly attended (shame on us!) American Legion meeting hosted by Ohio State Representative Connie Pillich, a former Air Force Officer, Attorney, and supporter of our Veterans programs.
She is supporting Issue 1 on our state ballot that will provide $1000 and $500 for Combat and related service respectively. I support this bond sale; it is not a TAX, but does increase our state debt that will be retired in 15 years. I will not support any local TAX increase of any other kind! I will not support and will do all within my limited power to prevent such increases.
We are heading into a "JOBLESS RECOVERY"! What is that!!! Millions of small businesses across America provide millions of jobs and until we lower taxes and encourage hiring, our national and state tax base is and will ramain eroded.
Is our Congress NUTS? We must vote and create turnover in Congress with elected officials that have a modicum of Business Acumen!
Gerry Hounchell Cincinnati Ohio.
Awarding President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is like awarding the Purple Heart to someone that has never seen combat and has no wounds of any kind.
My brother, Earl, served in the U.S. Army from 1939 through 1945 when his unit, the Ohio 37 Division, until it was disbanded. He died around year 2000 without telling his family that he had earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Stars, and a "hat full of Medals". I found out by petitioning the National Archives for his service records and was flabbergasted when I received a box with his Medals.
Earl, along with millions of other service men and women work for Peace, the hard way, they earned it for the rest of us.
Gerry Hounchell Cincinnati Ohio
President Obama has not earned the Nobel Peace Prize.
America and all other Democraticaly based nations are at war with terroists around the world. Alqueda has at it core, members that hate any semblance of Freedom.
Since America's Revolutionary War and the signing of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, our nation has been a beacon for mankinds yearning to be freedom. We are far from a perfect nation, but there are those in our citizeny and within our government that want to "throw out the baby with the bathwater", throw out our Constitution, apologize for America's imperfections while ignoring the virtues and values that millions of Americans have, for over 250 years, have fought and died for.
We are at war with Terrorism and have nothing for which we, as a nation, should apologize.
Gerry Hounchell Cincinnati, Ohio
I keep wondering how do you fathom our position? Are we supposed to be winning? I look at the 9/11 loss and what it cost jn terms of lives and money, and now what has our response cost? Doesn't Al Q come out ahead?
Mike, the article about our fallen comrades in the Philippines reinforces the fact that the threats to the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as a global community take many forms. However, I believe it's well past the time we call our "war on terror" what it really is...combating ideological extremism. Our adversaries’ terrorist tactics have indeed proven effective and in most cases are their only way of striking out against a much larger, technologically advanced force. But we have to remember these tactics are just their way of attempting to achieve a political, religious, economic, or social end-game. The focus of our political, economic and military might need to be against a pattern of thought not the method of action. Only when we admit who our adversaries truly are and what they desire to achieve can we ever hope to triumph against a foe that is so set on depriving us of the freedoms and liberties we all hold so dear.
Gary M. Gutowsky, Col, USAF
Belleville, IL
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