Current Events | Hope is Not a Foreign Policy

Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 7:35pm

Crossroads GPS: Shovel Ready

Posted by Tom Skypek in 2012 Elections, American Politics, Current Events, Economy, National Debt

It’s a bold move–laughing about a $1 trillion spending policy that didn’t work while the national debt exceeds $14 trillion and 14 million Americans are unemployed.
http://youtu.be/OvnAE8olUxU

No Comments Tags: Crossroads GPS, Shovel Ready, Stimulus

Sunday, June 26th, 2011 at 7:41am

Conservative Critics of the Libya Campaign Aren’t Isolationist–They’re Realists

Posted by Tom Skypek in 2012 Elections, American Foreign Policy, Conservatism, Current Events

The continued military adventure in Libya, the House of Representatives’ ambiguous rebuke of the President, and the President’s recent speech on Afghanistan, has led to a number of thoughtful articles on the current trajectory of our foreign policy which I wanted to share.

Colin Dueck, GOP Isolationist? No, Just More Jacksonian, RealClearPolitics
Tony Blankley, McCain Is Wrong: GOP Not Isolationist, The Washington Times
George Will, John McCain’s Never-ending War, The Washington Post

Lastly, I wanted to share the piece I wrote for RealClearPolitics, Conservatism Does Not End at America’s Shorelines. Like the three authors above, I, too, was prompted by the misleading comments of Sens. McCain and Graham. What the conservative intellectual movement needs is a substantive, honest debate…

1 Comment Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Isolationism, John McCain, Libya, Lindsey Graham

Thursday, February 24th, 2011 at 9:10am

Obama’s Reticence on Libya Result of “Scheduling Issue”

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, Current Events

See for yourself.

No Comments Tags: Jay Carney, Libya

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 at 8:39am

Libya Highlights Obama’s Foreign Policy Confusion

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, Current Events, Military History, The American Presidency

There are few things more important to a statesman than credibility and consistency when it comes to administering a nation’s foreign policy. The Obama administration’s response to recent events in Egypt and Libya underscore its foreign policy confusion. The White House has a peculiar habit of treating allied governments and adversarial governments as equals. This stems from President Barack Obama’s professed belief that all nations are indeed equal in Washington’s eyes. Of course, the reality of international politics is quite the opposite. More than two-thousand years of human history support this fact. Some states, whose national interests overlap and intersect, join together as allies. States whose national interests collide tend to have more adversarial relationships.

Understanding the role alliance systems play…

1 Comment Tags: Alliances, Barack Obama, Egypt, Foreign Policy, History of the Peloponnesian War, Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, Thucydides

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 at 7:53pm

It’s the Oil, Stupid – Part II

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, American Politics, Conservatism, Current Events, Economy, National Debt, Tea Party

Oil prices jumped 8.5% today as the popular uprisings in Libya continued. This is exactly what I was talking about last week in my post, “It’s the Oil, Stupid.” Instability creates uncertainty and uncertainty drives up oil prices. Because we’re slaves to Middle Eastern crude oil, Washington has to cow-tow to two-bit dictators and the price-fixing cartel OPEC. This is a choice, though. When we get serious about energy independence we can fundamentally change this dynamic. Unfortunately, as I noted last week, “The Obama administration has declared war on the coal industry through its proposed cap-and-trade legislation (and likely forthcoming EPA regulations); the licensing process for building new nuclear power plants has not been accelerated and the administration refuses to grant additional offshore drilling…

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Monday, February 21st, 2011 at 6:01pm

Huckabee Declines to Take Shot At Daniels

Posted by Tom Skypek in 2012 Elections, American Politics, Conservatism, Current Events

Via Tim Alberta at the National Journal:

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) doesn’t like the idea of Republicans calling a “truce” on social issues to focus on fixing the economy — but that doesn’t mean he’s eager to take on the man pushing that message, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R).

“I’m a fan of Mitch Daniels,” Huckabee said on a conference call with reporters Monday, adding that Daniels has “an extraordinary skill set not only to be governor but to be president.”

Huckabee was speaking with reporters one day before the release of his book, “A Simple Government,” in which he writes: “I’ve been criticized many times for talking so much about ‘social issues’ when the real issue now, according to…

No Comments Tags: Mike Huckabee, Mitch Daniels, Social Issues

Sunday, February 20th, 2011 at 5:40pm

Cantor and 91 Other House Republicans Cower from Spending Cuts

Posted by Tom Skypek in 2010 Elections, American Politics, Conservatism, Current Events, Tea Party, The American Presidency, Virginia Politics

As Adam Bitely from NetRightDaily.com reported, 92 House Republicans voted against Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan’s amendment to the Continuing Resolution which would have cut nearly $100 billion in spending. Among those voting against the spending cuts were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy. The real conservatives in Republican leadership positions, Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeb Hensarling, voted in favor of the amendment.

Either you’re serious about cutting spending or you’re not. Despite his tough talk, Cantor let down the voters of Virginia. We have no money. We’re broke. This isn’t the first time that Cantor has failed voters. In 2009, Cantor and 84 other Republicans voted to support the unconstitutional AIG bonus tax. These…

No Comments Tags: Eric Cantor, Jeb Hensarling, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan

Friday, February 18th, 2011 at 9:01pm

The Tea Party Movement Must Stand with Governor Walker

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Culture, American Politics, Current Events, Economy, National Debt, Tea Party

Like the federal government and much of the rest of the country, Wisconsin is broke. As such, Governor Scott Walker has courageously asked public employees to make a 5.8% contribution to their pensions, which is roughly equal to the national average. He’s also asked them to pay 12.6% of their health insurance costs, which is about half the national average. These are hardly unreasonable requests considering that most Americans are paying much more out of their own pockets. At a time when most Americans are tightening their family budgets these unions expect a free ride when it comes to health care and retirement savings. Governor Walker stands in stark contrast to Barack Obama who has passed up every opportunity to cut the deficit and…

1 Comment Tags: Barack Obama, Public Unions, Scott Walker, Wisconsin

Thursday, February 17th, 2011 at 9:31pm

Put the Students First: Fire the Striking Teachers

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Politics, Conservatism, Current Events

From the Editors at Investor’s Business Daily:

Labor: Unionized Wisconsin teachers should be ashamed of their response to legislation that would end their privilege to bargain collectively. And if such lousy behavior continues, they should be relieved of their duties.

The Wisconsin government is in a financial hole, operating with a $137 million deficit for the current fiscal year ending June 30. Its future is filled with bigger deficits, projected to be as large as $3.6 billion.

One way to cut into the shortfall is to end the public employee unions’ collective bargaining privilege that has landed them the generous salaries and benefits the taxpayers are struggling to pay.

Doing what voters elected him to do, new Republican Gov. Scott Walker introduced a…

1 Comment Tags: Scott Walker, Teachers Unions, Wisconsin

Thursday, February 17th, 2011 at 7:32pm

Conservatives Shouldn’t Fear Cuts to Defense Budget

Posted by Tom Skypek in Afghanistan, American Foreign Policy, Current Events, Economy, National Debt, The American Presidency

Social Security may be the third rail of American politics, but the defense budget is at least worthy of notable mention. In fact, the defense budget is arguably the most politically sensitive budget item after entitlement spending. Conservatives and Republicans, who have enjoyed an advantage over their liberal counterparts on national security issues since Vietnam, too often associate a “strong national defense” simply with increases in defense spending—without considering the expenditures in the context of broader U.S. grand strategy. Many conservatives and Republicans are reluctant to propose cuts to the defense budget out of fear for appearing weak. Many just lack any strategic sense and simply follow the big government internationalism crowd which includes both liberals and parts of the conservative movement.

Liberals and Democrats are split…

1 Comment Tags: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Conservatives, Defense Budget, FY2012 Budget, Pentagon