Readdressing Independence Day!

Ever since our founding fathers wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence this country was on an upward march to become the most powerful nation in and leader of the free world. We have taken tremendous pride in that and well we should. Now I find myself wondering how we've managed to elect a President who does not have maintaining that achievement as his goal. He wants us to be an equal among equals - or less.

While we were swooning over a young man with a silver tongue and patting ourselves on the back that we had reached a level where we could comfortably elect a minority President, world leaders wise in the way of politics on their level, saw naivety and inexperience. While people around the world turned out in mass to see our President many of their leaders were warming to opportunities newly available for exploitation.

There was a time when allies would not have been openly contemptuous of our President and his ideas. Look at them now. He tells them he wants to be like them yet he tries to dictate how they handle their own business. The message is mixed and weak.

The most egregious, however, is the constant tension between the Chinese and the U.S. The U.S. is angry they won't condemn the sinking of a South Korean ship purportedly by the North Koreans. Of course, to date, there is no proof the suspicion is true. As a retaliation of sorts the U.S. plans joint naval exercises with the South Koreans as a show of solidarity. In response the Chinese are going to conduct their own.

Perhaps it would have been wise to take the comment by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman when he said, "China borders on the Korean peninsula and we have our own feeling on the issue, different from that of the countries tens of thousands miles away...We have more direct and intense concerns."

Isn't this always the point? Our reality isn't always that of another country and our suggestions are often not appreciated.

At the very least we should get our goals in line. I vote for regaining our status as leader of the free world. Of course to do that we'll need a different administration with clear cut goals and a Congress willing to compromise among themselves to get there. It will be a long climb back.

Of all countries to be sniping at however, China would not be on the top of my list. After all, they own us.