Defense

As Conservatives, we believe in a strong national defense. This involves a handful of things:

Defending our Homeland:

When new members of the military are sworn in, they take an oath to defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is our duty, then, to make sure that our men and women in uniform are supplied with whatever resources they need to defend us. It is also our duty to treat these people with the utmost honor and respect. As Conservatives, we do not take our freedom for granted, nor do we take for granted the brave individuals who lay their lives on the line to protect our freedom.

As we learned from Pearl Harbor (and again from 9/11), our country is not invincible. We are strong, yes, but not invincible. That being the case, we must go to great lengths to ensure our personal safety and the safety of our fellow countrymen. In some instances, it is necessary to use aggressive force abroad to maintain our safety here at home. In a world where rogue nations possess (or are seeking to possess) nuclear and biological weapons, we cannot loaf around and wait to get hit. With a proper amount of forethought and deliberation, we must act aggressively to make certain that our nation does not fall victim to any sort of devastating attack. Sending letters to our enemies or holding hands with them while singing Kumbaya does not count. Asking the French for their opinion does not count either. 

Standing with our Allies:

Make no mistake. The United States MUST stand with her allies, especially Great Britain and Israel. We cannot afford to be attacked, but neither can we afford to watch our friends across the globe fall victim to attack. We must not turn our backs on our TRUE friends in their times of need. With an increasingly dangerous Iran, Russia, and North Korea, we can never let our guard down.

Recognizing our Enemies:

Russia and North Korea are very potential threats. In a post-9/11 world, however, our number one threat is radical Islamic jihad. Fighting Muslim combatants is nothing new for the United States. As early as 1801, our country was fighting Barbary Pirates on the North African coast. The Barbary pirates were Muslims and they hated the West. Conflict with various Islamic jihadists escalated in the last quarter of the 20th century and then we suffered devastating attacks on September 11th. Our enemies did not stop after 9/11 though. They have continued to strike. Let us not forget the Fort Hood shooting last November and the Christmas Day Panty Bomber. 

To be clear, the United States is not fighting a War on Islam; we are fighting a War on Terror. The fact that our enemies kill in the name of Allah is circumstantial. If some other group plotted against us, hijacked commercial aircraft and used them as weapons against us, we would be retaliating against them just the same. Terror is not an exclusive province of radical Islam; it can be perpetrated by anyone. However, there is no escaping the fact that a very overwhelming majority of attacks against Americans in the last 35 years have been committed by Islamic jihadists. That being said, radical jihad has cemented itself as the number one threat our nation faces.

Maintaining our Sovereignty:

The United States is a sovereign nation. As such, it is important that we enforce our laws and our borders. If we do not enforce one (or both), then we lose our sense of sovereignty.  A nation who does not enforce its laws and its borders has no purpose. In recent years, the need for enforcement of our laws as they relate to our borders has become increasingly important for two reasons. First, tying in with the previous segments, our borders are a matter of national security. If we let anyone and everyone through, terrorists can enter this country much more easily. That is a very real danger. 

Secondly, the large influx of illegal immigrants to this country has created numerous problems. This brings up an important point. As Conservatives, we are proud of our country and we are proud to be from it. This does not mean that we are bigoted against people from other countries. We welcome immigration, so long as it is legal. In fact, immigration to the United States is a testament to our country’s greatness, because so many millions of people want to come here.

It is important though that immigrants come here legally. Moreover, it is important that we do not extend amnesty to illegal aliens. If we do not enforce our laws, what is our purpose as a nation? Also, what message does amnesty send to all of those who immigrate here legally? That tells them that all of the work they put in abiding by the law and following the proper procedure was for nothing. These people did not just sneak across a border (many did not even have that luxury). They followed the law and that should be respected.

All About Respect:

At the end of the day, a strong national defense is all about respect. As Conservatives, we respect our troops and our fellow countrymen. We want to keep America safe. We respect our allies and we want to keep them safe as well. We respect the harsh reality that our nation faces grave threats, most notably radical jihad. Lastly, we respect our laws and our borders and we believe in the enforcement of both as a means of maintaining national sovereignty. Each of these components contributes to the Conservative belief in a strong national defense.