Changing The Direction of Our Nation for the Better

As many of my friends know, I do love the sport of basketball but probably appreciate the earlier years of it more than some of the modern-day manipulations of the sport. The years that spanned the ’60s-’70s, ’80s, and 1990s were some of my most favorite times to watch the sport.

Being from New England, my favorite team was, of course, the Boston Celtics but I did love the Philadelphia 76ers. I loved the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls, which saw Larry Bird and Michael Jordan battle head-to-head.

I always enjoyed watching some of those competitions with my next-door neighbors Bob Liacone and his wonderful wife Dorothy, who were great fans of their hometown team, the Bulls. It was a spirited competition when they would play, and they would invite me over to enjoy the game and some of Dorothy’s great cooking.

Before either Michael, Larry or Magic came along, Oscar Robinson would dominate the field with a move that would be called the “head fake.” Robinson developed the move as part of a driving layup that would confuse his defenders in mid-air as to whether to pass or shoot. Others would adopt some of their moves, but the big “O” would define that move.

It seems Democrats have also developed a similar move, another “head-fake” of their own as they battle to keep Republicans off-balance as the nation begins to debate how to enter the future and deal with the more important questions that face the nation.

Republicans seem to be similarly confused by Democrats as they consistently develop an ongoing narrative out of the Hill and the White House that keeps Republicans from dealing with the issues that are most important to Americans. Instead, Republicans seem confused as Democrats continue to make a hard run down the middle of the court amongst voters, while Republicans seem to be distracted and confused by their intentional “head-fake,” which will draw them off-sides and concentrate on issues that prove to be more divisive than inclusive with voters.

Another sports analogy concerning the “rope a dope” strategy employed by Mohamad Ali against George Foreman in Zaire in 1974 is also being employed by Democrats. They have sat back and let the Republicans’ lack of demand for integrity in the election of one of their own paint them into a corner. The seating of George Santos in the U.S. House of Representatives for intentionally lying about his credentials and humiliating the party in his home district may choose to be disastrous to the party, not only in that district but nationally, because of Republicans lack of courage to deal with this individual. He is a disgrace and should never have been seated.

Another matter lies in how our national interests are being seriously undermined throughout the world as China continues to play a hardball game while interfering with our relationships across the globe. Their efforts to meddle in the Middle East, which have been made possible by the bungling of foreign policy within that important area of the world by the Biden Administration could result in serious ramifications worldwide and seriously threatens important allies in that area, which already is a powder keg and capable of exploding at any moment with dire consequences for mankind.

The unrealistic drive to move our nation into electric vehicles on a timeframe which may prove disastrous to our own economy and the nation as a whole is another “head-fake” which takes us down an unsustainable path, one which will bankrupt our nation and the economic powerhouse which our nation has demonstrated our country to be.

Yes, I agree we have dragged our feet too long on this matter. However, we cannot move in the proposed direction without disastrous consequences. Instead, we must move in a reasoned and intelligent manner towards this goal, not down the disastrous path that has been proposed.

The main component in the batteries to power those vehicles come from China, which controls the materials essential to the production of those batteries. China is the same nation that is threatening our own viability as a nation and a people.

We must institute the same resolve which another President challenged us with in 1962, therefore moving us forward in a more productive and reasoned path, not the one which has been proposed.

Another President elected in 2016 unleashed the American ability to become energy independent and would actually see America become a net exporter of energy resources, something our present-day President has unfortunately reversed and saddled American citizens with escalating energy costs.

Democrats and Republicans must come together to craft a way forward which will return our nation to that of its former leadership position within the world community. We must stabilize the world scene which has been spiraling out of control by strengthening our relationships between friend and foe alike.

The first President of the United States, George Washington, spoke of a policy of “Peace Through Strength” when he issued his fifth annual message to Congress. In the 1793 State of the Union Address, he said, “There is a rank due to the United States among nations which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness.”

President Reagan would also make that a central part of his own agenda during his eight years as President, which resulted in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

Hopefully, in the election of 2024, America will elect men and women on both sides of the aisles that can return us to reasoned give and take which will restore America to the strength and respect we once held amongst friend and foe alike.