Should We Panic Like The Media and Washington D.C. Suggests?

Over the last few days, several people have reached out to me for my thoughts on all the turmoil churning in the news media and throughout official Washington. This made me decide to try to put forth those thoughts in context in this blog. By doing so I realize it puts me in a position that if wrong, it's on record, but then again, if right as well. So in no special order I will try to cover the chaos.

The resignation of General James "Mad Dog" Mattis. May I first ask why does everyone on both sides of the aisle automatically believe that General Mattis was blindsided by President Trump deciding to pull troops out of Syria? Why isn't the assumption that they have been in debate behind closed doors and simply disagree? Personally, I have twice resigned from leadership positions in different organizations when I was in disagreement with the leader's ultimate decision. There were other times where I was able to take a step back and decide if I could truly support the decision or not and decided I could after working my head around to see it their way. This would be my first belief how this went down, it only makes sense to me, maybe because I have been in those situations. Second, this was part of what Donald Trump ran his campaign on, that he wouldn't keep us entangled in conflicts that don't have a clear American direct interest. That he would not commit the blood of our service men and women and our treasure to such things. This is simply one more promise kept. With the addition of reduction if not outright removal of our troops in Afghanistan, this has been the single longest running war in the history of America as a sovereign nation. It has been going on nonstop for the last 17 years, two years longer than Vietnam. Today's high school seniors have lived their entire lives with America at war. There is a great deal being made over Mattis's resignation letter, and that it doesn't endorse President Trump, but does say he deserves a Secretary of War who shares his vision. How can anyone argue with that? For me, I will be in a wait and see stance on how this plays out, but I am not overly concerned at present.

The Government Shut Down and the Battle over the Wall. First of all, the government shut down is a lot of fuss over very little impact overall. In fact, I would suggest that the Establishment in both parties are the only ones who can be really hurt by and actual government shut down, because the last thing they want is for people to realize how little impact it would have on their lives. Who knows, people might then ask, "why are we paying for all this?" When it comes to the Wall, I may be one of the few Trump supporters who is not a fan of a Wall. I am a big fan of the idea of the wall, and the goals of that wall, but not of the structure itself. Why? Because I understand that people I support will not always be in power, and that there is no guarantee that a Totalitarian Oligarchic Progressive Regime won't take power and use it to keep people in rather than out. I would prefer the Wall be made up of laws where there are real punishments for those who hire illegal's, for those who forge papers, and who create an underground economy. I would support the death penalty for those who human traffic people into sweat shops or the sex trade. However, I understand the ideas of the Wall because laws have so long not been followed. I hope that the President holds his line and forces the Establishment to blink.

The Stock Market. The stock market is always susceptible to any level of uncertainty. The FED, who didn't raise interest rates for more than a decade, but held them artificially low to protect the Establishment's economic policies of stagnation and a shrinking America are now raising them to "Slow down inflation" which simply doesn't exist. It feels pretty much like the Swamp trying to put a plug in the drain. This too shall pass. Why would you expect those who are invested in status quo not to fight change. Trump is, in fact, making America strong again and that goes against their plan of globalization and making America to be on par, not ahead of the rest of the world.

The thing that really cracks me up is the assertions that Trump is leading a partisan divide in this country. There is nothing remotely partisan about Trump. He is not an ideologue for either party. He is not a Progressive or a Conservative, even though he has been the most successful in advancing Conservative agendas in history. He is a pragmatist who really doesn't care who's ideas work. In fact, historically we have no had a less partisan President since Washington and Adams.

The battle will continue, this will get uglier before it gets better. We are at the front line of a civil war, the civil war is being fought at Trump's front door. It is a battle of will we be a nation of Laws, of Individual rights, with truly equal opportunities for everyone to start, or will we be a nation of collectivists making decisions for all? I pray that Donald Trump and those who support him stay strong and prevail, it is this nation's last greatest hope to pass along a Free and Independent Republic to our kids.