What Have We Become?

I've been wondering about this quite a bit lately. Office holders are fleeing their posts while others stick tenaciously to policies that the people vehemently oppose. The President has no control over his own party. The Republicans have no leadership. At least no one has risen to the top of the political heap unless you really want to consider Sarah Palin.

Is anybody in charge of anything? Take Obama's recent pronouncement he wants to see a resurgence of nuclear power. At the same time he has caved to exhortations by Harry Reid and shut down the nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain after we've spent billions of dollars on it. Further more, as with much needed oil refineries, the permitting process is excessively long and convoluted and that's before the environmentalists get into it. These are Obama's people!

This is a nightmare from which I would like to awaken. Instead I find others share it.

In a Wall Street Journal column, Judy Shelton quoted an observation by former Polish President Lech Walesa, "The world has no leadership. The U.S. was the last resort and hope for all the nations. Today we have lost that hope. They don't lead morally or politically anymore."

He has a point, as chilling as it is. When our President deems it necessary to bow to the wishes of the Chinese by refusing to meet with Dali Lama, there is a problem. Fortunately, the Dali Lama has returned and this time the meeting will take place. But what caused the refusal the first time?

The Chinese consider the Dali Lama as no more than a thorn in their side pushing for Tibetan independence rather than the actuality of his being the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Chinese, up until recently, also have been our largest creditor. Our "leader" feared offending them. Feared. Oh, my.

Japan has now taken over that dubious position. What concessions will be expected to keep them happy? We're fighting wars with diminishing numbers of allies. We apologize to the world for attitudes justifiably held.

It isn't just President Obama; it's the thinking of the far left. We should be equals, not leaders. What a repugnant attitude. The United States has always been the leader of the free world and now we have leadership that does not aspire to that.

What have we allowed to happen to us? As much as I understand why some Senators and Congressmen are getting while the getting is good, this is not the time! That is not leadership. That's deserting a sinking ship! We need them to stay, to band together and fight. Not for their party but for their country.

Before we elect one more person to high office, we would do well to take the time to see ourselves as others do. Mr. Walesa has made his opinion clear. How many others share it?