Major General Paul Vallely (Ret): 'Why Has America Lost its Friends and Allies?'

Each day as I watch the news reports of recent events from across the globe, I wonder, “Who are America’s friends anymore?” Try as I might, I can no longer readily identify them. It seems our longtime friends and allies are in retreat. And I am forced to ask myself, “How many of us are aware of this and have noticed that it’s happening?”  Having visited the Middle East (Turkey, Syria, and Egypt) and Europe several times during the current administration’s two terms of office, I witnessed unquestionable signs of the downward spiral in US credibility and respect.  Those who counted on us for friendship and support in tackling world problems and threats – and who we counted on as well in return – are now nervous, skeptical and afraid.

For example, the Egyptians could not understand why, after so many decades of friendship, an American administration would spurn their civil uprising against the Muslim Brotherhood. They cannot understand why an American administration would have shut off US military modernization assistance at such a critical time in the Middle East.

Any special relationships garnered since World War II appear to have either disappeared or are certainly in decline. Clearly, confidence in us as the world’s foremost leader has dissipated due to this administration’s choice to cast aside allies and marginalize friends, despite our enemies becoming more numerous.

The international chessboard is clearly changing but not for the benefit of America.

Why is this so?  For me, there can be no question, it is the direct result of Progressive Socialism, which has permeated both our governing parties. The harsh truth is we do not have competent senior government officials. Our current lot are, sadly, only amateurs at handling foreign relations and our national security. We cannot permit the current leaders in the White House and halls of Congress to continue in their efforts to push us down the road of progressivism leading to the ultimate destruction of the America we have known and love. We cannot continue to allow our national prestige and honor to be decimated at home and abroad. We must commit ourselves to creating the solution.

The ever growing damage incurred at the hands of the progressives specifically translates into significant pain that must be endured while we work to resurrect the United States’ international reputation.  If our friends are to trust and admire us, and our allies are to respect us, combine forces with us, and when appropriate, defer to us, our former standing as the world’s sole super-power must be renewed and reestablished.

The chessboard must be reset, and reset now, before chaos and irreparable damage become a permanent part of the fabric of this country.

The current battle that America faces, is against the incompetence, deceit, fraud, corruption, dishonesty of our senior leaders and their cavalier violation of the US Constitution.  More specifically, the very oaths of office of certain well-identified, elected and appointed officials have been utterly abandoned and betrayed. It is undeniable that the Obama White House, State Department, and CIA have been peculiarly inept at working with our allies or confronting our enemies, to the point that it has jeopardized some of our most important relationships.

To our friends (whomever they may be now), this directly relates to our national character, our alliances, our mutual security, our interwoven economies, and the trueness and viability of our friendship, not to mention our leadership.

If you think about it, it is a hard task to identify our last diplomatic victory.  In fact, my best assessment of the most recent diplomatic victories for America were the results of the Reagan administration’s strengths, which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, followed by the breakup of the Soviet Union. It is apparent that our leadership has never caught up to the realities of the new world order ever since.

Based on just such utter confusion regarding our nation’s proper role in the world, Hillary Clinton traveled the world, setting new State Department records for burning fuel, with no record of diplomatic success anywhere.  Certainly, none that I can document. John Kerry is following the same path, continually trying to reuse old, tired, and failed ploys.

No less dismaying is Mr. Obama’s attitude toward U.S. friends. A particularly cogent example was his decision to allow, if not support, diplomatic attacks against Israel regarding the 2010 flotilla blockades into Gaza. His utopian idea was that he would, thereby, purchase goodwill throughout the Middle East.  It is pure folly to think that distancing ourselves from the Israelis will buy us leverage with the Muslim states. Of the plethora of other examples, this is as clearly indicative of his wrong mindedness as any from his 2008 election until now.

Additionally, Turkey, an old ally, has now changed the current chessboard and is cozying up with Iran while entrenching itself on the side of Sharia-dictated Islamism.  We must remember that Turkey was responsible for encouraging and supporting the flotilla against the Israeli naval blockade, which was a blatant forecast of the direction we only now see fully revealing itself.

Or consider Saudi Arabia, which is rightfully upset with the way Obama has handled Syria, Iran, and the Palestinian issues, not to mention his awkward and incompetent (at best) approach to the ISIS situation.  From the Saudi’s perspective, Obama brought everyone to the brink, then he just washed his hands of it all, in favor of appeasement and talks with Iran and kowtowing to Russia. Further, Obama’s drawing and then erasing the red line in Syria may have even greater significance, but is simply another illustration of the same failure already established in the early years of his first term. Not one of his “diplomatic” moves included discussions with the Saudis and their neighbors.

The Obama administration cannot even bring itself to accurately characterize the enemies that it must admit we have. Their National Security strategy declares we are at war with “Al Qaeda and its affiliates.” Islamist extremists? Jihadis? No, they will not admit that. Senior officials have repeatedly insisted that they understand that radical Islamism runs counter to the authoritative teachings of an altogether peace-loving religion—when the truth is that all religions, including Islam, have within them entirely authentic, deeply rooted, and often sophisticated fanatical streams. In the case of Islam though, it is the controlling factor. This refusal to acknowledge the creed of our enemies is further evidence of a lack of strategic seriousness. His military half-measures and weak kneed response to our own threats immeasurably amplify the clear and present danger our allies face.

What about Russia?  Friend or enemy, or both?  The one thing we know is that now, after decades of successfully preventing Russia from grabbing a position of power in the Middle East, Obama’s failed policies have empowered Russia to establish itself as the most powerful rising player on the field.  As a result, President Vladimir Putin of Russia rises as a diplomatic hero and is charming much of the world, despite their knowledge of the Russian government’s nefarious intentions.

Consider as well our enemy North Korea.  Analyzing Obama’s misguided actions in this case involves first returning to the Clinton administration, which set in motion their nuclear proliferation.  Then the Bush administration never took charge of the situation, and the Obama administration has followed suit.  Obama has allowed this enemy to increase its level of threat vastly beyond anything we might have imagined had there been the slightest competence or seriousness of response.

Most serious of all, however, may be the consequences of the disastrous Iran Nuclear agreement.  Simply put, there is not one aspect of it that is in alignment with American interest.
This administration perpetually plays into the hands of our enemies while continuously marginalizing friends. Therefore, we must demand the transfer of power away from derelict and incompetent officials.  The one and only way we are able to accomplish this is through our vote.
The Declaration of Independence states:

“To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.”
The oath of office is simple and reads:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Sadly, we have seen in the current administration as never before, that elected and appointed officials violate their oaths, constantly and consistently. Fraud, lying, and corruption are rampant and some have engaged in treasonous activities. They effectively thumb their noses at us and have sold us all to the highest bidder.

Clearly, this is not the exclusive sin of those in our executive branch of government.  Congress, too, enjoys the riches of extortion and “get rich” schemes abound through the intentional misuse of campaign funds.

To cure these ills, we must understand and remember that our Constitution grants the federal government the necessary authority to cultivate, promote, and secure the Blessings of Liberty. The balance of that authority, on the one hand, and the opposing individual liberties we enjoy as persons on the other, was established for the ages. Power was confined to that which was enumerated in the Constitution by means of the most well-designed check and balances any nation has ever created.
Lincoln issued this warning in his inaugural address:

“Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and form a new one. This is a most valuable and sacred right – a right which we hope and believe is to liberate the world.”

In our lifetime, “rising up” means making change through other means than revolution, and NOT by force of arms. The people must “rise up” from the grass roots across this great country as we think of the greater good of this and future generations. We are righteously limited, yet fully empowered in the peaceful transfer of power by these various means: impeachment, forced resignation, natural death, or secure elections.  Now is the moment to transfer power by election.

“We the People” are fed up.  We have had enough.
The Obama Administration and identifiable members of Congress have taken America on a death march, reducing our country to new lows and jeopardizing our very survival as a nation. It is imperative that the “people” open their eyes, educate themselves, decide to stand up for this great country by defying those who tear her down, destroying our future and that of our friends and allies as well.

Hillary Clinton is no more and no less than the continued expression of all these destructive forces.
America must reject her bid for election.

For any and all flaws he may present, Donald Trump is the only answer to all these problems.  We must rise up as a people and elect him, if we are to save our country.

Once again, we must build friendships not destroy them. Once again, we must live up to the legacy of our forefathers, and create anew a nation guided by its Constitution, to be by, of and for the people.  Our friends will only be friends if we do.  Our enemies will only fear us when we do.
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MG Vallely is the Chairman of Stand Up America US

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