Maintaining domestic peace, securing borders or successful foreign policy that secures the national interest all have one quality in common: Resolve. The North Vietnamese had it during the Vietnam War; they were willing to sustain 100,000 casualties a year to forcibly unify Vietnam on communist North Vietnam’s terms. Our national leaders had no intention of committing the resources of America to achieve military victory, in fact, Secretary of Defense McNamara and President Johnson outright rejected the military strategy that military leadership submitted to effectively destroy North Vietnam’s ability to wage war against South Vietnam. Johnson/McNamara decided to rely on a policy of gradual pressure, “sending messages” to the North to persuade them to seek a diplomatic accommodation with the South. They prohibited outright any ground incursion of the North, prohibited effective use of airpower, banned attacking of enemy jet fighters in the air or on their airbases unless the enemy first attacked American aircraft. They prohibited the destruction of enemy air defenses in the north, especially SAM-2 Missile sites unless they were operational and fired on American aircraft. Those and many other restrictions nullified the tremendous military advantage we had over the communist North Vietnamese. It cost us the lives of hundreds of airmen and aircraft and ultimately, the lives of 58,000 Americans. Troops weren’t defeated; our leaders lacked resolve to win and simply quit when their political theories failed.
Similarly, we permitted millions of people to cross our borders illegally under both Republican and Democrat leadership, but egregiously so under Biden who threw the gates wide open. Millions of people from over 150 countries streamed across our borders, trampling barriers, overwhelming Border Patrol agents who were vilified by the national media for doing what the laws enacted by Congress required. Democrat States and local governments proclaimed themselves to be “Sanctuaries” as elected and appointed officials violated their oath of office to “uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws of the United States.” They refused cooperation with federal agents in removing persons illegally in the country, including hardened criminals who committed the most heinous crimes. Victims, often widely publicized as white college coeds by the media were for the most part, the very immigrant communities in which they resided. Immigration officers were denied access to local jails, federal detainer requests were ignored and violent criminals released into the streets. When federal officers went into neighborhoods to arrest illegal migrants wanted for committing violent felonies, they were mobbed, as in Los Angeles. When federal officers called for emergency assistance, their calls were ignored. That’s when President Trump federalized the California National Guard, to protect his officers and federal facilities. Unfortunately, when the Guard is “federalized” they become almost ineffective to local law enforcement. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1877 prohibits the use of federal troops for law enforcement except to suppress insurrection. Once federalized, all local Guard missions supporting law enforcement must be preapproved by the SCRAG, the Senior Civilian Representative of the Attorney General, which is basically a bunch of lawyers sitting around a table to determine whether or not a mission meets narrow legal parameters. By the time they make a decision the need for the troops is usually passed. That’s why most of these troops won’t be confronting rioters, they’ll be guarding fixed federal facilities like court houses or providing direct protection to federal law enforcement officers only; local cops will directly confront rioters. The ensuing riots have continued for nearly two weeks due to lack of resolve by State and local authorities. The Rodney King riots of 1992 lasted five days; the Sheriff ended the riots by making 20,000 arrests and holding them without bail until a magistrate heard their case, usually about four or five days out. Local authorities currently appear to be making only token arrests and then releasing them back onto the streets.
So too does President Trump seem to lack necessary resolve to confront threats to our national security. Prior to Israel’s pre-emptive strike on Iran, Trump reduced American military capabilities to assist the Israelis, withdrew Carrier Task Forces at sea and B2 Bombers required to deliver the Massive Ordinance Bombs needed to destroy deep, underground facilities holding the bulk of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. He also reportedly kiboshed Israeli plans to destroy the murderous civilian leadership of Iran.
The bloodthirsty Ayatollah and his council are determined to exterminate the Jewish state, everyone within it and all “non-believers.” The Iranian dictatorship routinely executes women for offenses such as not properly covering their hair in public and executed hundreds of people for political offenses in 2024. Israel is fighting for its life and while some American warships are assisting in taking down missiles targeting civilians the heavy lifting is being done solo by Israeli forces. Iran violated every treaty it’s signed, held Americans hostage, assassinates dissidents in foreign nations, plotted to kill American elected and appointed officials, killed and wounded thousands of American military and civilian personnel since 1983, (especially in Iraq and Lebanon) and has armed proxy forces to attack American and allied interests throughout the Middle East. They’re building massive quantities of ballistic missiles, projected to increase from the current 2000 to 6000 to 10000 over the next few years. The International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran secretly built advanced underground nuclear weapons programs and has enough material on-hand to build nine atomic bombs and 19 by the end of the year. They’ve also confirmed Iran planned to distribute atomic bombs to proxies such as the Houthis in Yemen who’ve been firing on Israel, Saudi Arabia and international shipping. Trump doesn’t seem to realize for diplomacy to work it requires military capability and resolve of iron to use it. Neville Chamberlain would be proud.
Al Fonzi is an independent opinion columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email him at ajfonzi2@hotmail.com
