Stephen Bailey for Congress 2010

National Defense You Have a Clear Choice Is our military and national defense the tool of international welfare and justice? Or is it a key responsibility for a moral government that serves to protect the rights of its citizens from aggressive foreign powers and terrorists that threaten or attack the U.S.? Of Congress’s 17 original powers enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, seven (7) relate directly to national defense and laws of high seas and of nations (international affairs). Stephen supports a national defense sufficiently strong to deter and repel any attack or objective threat against U.S. citizens and our trade in international air space and seas. Our military should not be used for international welfare projects, nation building, nor placed under U.N. control. Our foreign policy should be non-interventionist in the domestic affairs of other countries as long as those affairs pose no objective threat to the U.S. And, we must refrain from short-term alliances with immoral regimes that jeopardize our long-term security. Discussion Because a moral government is responsible for protecting our rights, it is obligated to protect us from foreign powers and terrorists that are intent on attacking the U.S. and its citizens. We need strong and effective intelligence to ensure the President and Congress are well informed of potential threats. We need a strong military defense capable of stopping all threats and to dissuade attacks against America and American citizens. National defense starts with a rational, pro-American foreign policy. Such a policy is not imperialistic in nature or form. It is not interventionist in the domestic affairs of other countries. And, it avoids short-term alliances with immoral regimes at the cost of our long-term security. Free market commerce is the foundation for peaceful interaction with other nations. The projection of our ability to protect free trade across international seas and airspace, dissuade immoral regimes from military hostilities. When we are attacked or objectively threatened, we must respond decisively to eliminate the threat with the full moral and constitutional authority that our military deserves. There are evil people in this world who seek to murder Americans and destroy our property. Osama bin Laden’s 1998 Fatwa (a re-issue of his 1996 Fatwa) states:
	“On that basis, and in compliance with God's order, we issue the following fatwa to all Muslims: The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies--civilians and military--is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it … We -- with God's help -- call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it.”
Whatever the pretext for their grievance with the U.S., the terrorists do not represent any governments and therefore, no countries or the people of any country. Having failed to earn the sanction of any people through a democratic election, they work outside the realms of civility to enforce their will and destruction of life on others. We cannot act like ostriches and bury our heads in the sand and hope they go away. We can and should have an open discussion as to the best way to defend the U.S. and Americans from this threat. After nine years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is clear that we have not conducted the war with constitutional authority, nor with the objective of vanquishing our enemies at the lowest risk and cost to American lives and treasure. Instead, we have handcuffed our military with restrictive rules of engagement and sought to build civilized, democratic states with no history of their population being able to honor and appreciate the concept of individual rights and liberty. This is not the role of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. It is the role of the people of these countries to throw off the shackles of their servitude to immoral governments, home grown terrorists, and foreign tyrants, and establish a new government dedicated to the protection of individual rights. We cannot enforce an outcome on a people that neither seeks it nor have the ability to appreciate it, honor it and protect it. However, we can eliminate anyone in a foreign country plotting and acting to achieve the destruction of American citizens and America. Should the citizens of these countries arise to install a moral government, they will find the people and industry of the United States ready, willing and able to assist them through free trade and private charity.

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