A re-election of Joe Biden would imperil America's national security, and that's no joke.
Over three weeks have passed since Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin kept his hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) a secret, leaving the U.S. without its top national security leader.
But Americans still have not been given a satisfactory explanation from Austin or President Joe Biden’s administration.
In fact, Austin’s "unwillingness to provide candid and complete answers," according to the U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, is a matter so serious that Austin has been summoned to testify before a full committee hearing about his decision "to withhold information from the President, Congress, and the American people."
Secretary Austin’s four days "AWOL" his covered-up "subtle" 911 emergency call, and his seeming refusal to be held accountable or transparent, speaks to a much larger and more serious problem within Biden’s administration and his campaign for (heaven forbid) a second term.
What makes President Biden think he can run a successful reelection campaign when he can’t even demonstrate control over his current cabinet members?
The fact that Secretary Austin, the most significant adviser to the president on nuclear military decisions (the "other hand" on the nuclear launch button, if you will), could opt to "disappear" without notice or transparent communication for four days, is a prime example of the dysfunction and dishonesty in the White House and Pentagon.
Even Secretary Austin does not have enough respect for his boss to let Biden know he cannot come to work --- something other Americans do every day or bear the consequences. This tells you all you need to know about the condition of Biden’s administration.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, knew about Austin’s incapacitation two days before President Biden did.
He also kept silent.
As the president’s top military adviser, is Brown negligent or complicit?
Congress was not informed until yet another day later. Compare Austin’s actions with Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which imposes a maximum of six months jail time on a uniformed member of the military for being absent without leave, and you get a sense of how important it is that the leader of the U.S. military is present and accounted for.
Every opponent or "competitor" of the United States of America, across the globe, is now keenly aware of the scattered and incoherent security and defense status of the Biden team.
Biden’s open borders, financial ties to Ukraine, surrender of Afghanistan and U.S. military equipment to the Taliban, and his leniency toward China and its intelligence-collecting spy balloons exacerbate this problem in a very dangerous way.
In the case of Austin ignoring his obligation to notify Congress of his incapacitation, the left hand had no idea what the right hand was doing. Worse — the catastrophic failure was embraced and glorified by Biden after his "warm conversation" with Austin, as a "lapse in judgement," telling the American people he has "full confidence" in Austin.
Austin himself lacks the courage or sense to resign, instead, offering a therapeutic statement about his own self-improvement and commitment "to doing better."
How embarrassing for the U.S. How dangerous.
The ineffectiveness of Biden’s presidency is perfectly reflected in his recent "handling" of the Iranian-backed Houthis’ months-long attack on U.S. and international ships in the Red Sea.
On Jan. 13, Biden claimed to have spoken privately to Iran and told reporters "We're confident we're well-prepared" before he departed to his presidential retreat at Camp David.
Almost immediately, the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a "reckless and imprecise" missile strike near the Erbil U.S. Consulate — a "message" to the U.S. and Israel –killing Kurdish civilians. It seems Biden is anything but well-prepared, and once again he humiliated the U.S. with weakness.
Biden just announced he will label the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group (SDGT).
But the Houthis had been given this specific designation by the Trump administration, as well as the more potent designation, Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Both designations were stupidly reversed in February of 2021 by Biden, almost immediately after he took office, to appease Iran, the state sponsor of terrorism.
When you consider the precarious position of the U.S. on the global stage, it becomes apparent why Biden often chooses to use lawfare against his political opponents and recklessly label conservative voters as "threats to democracy."
Biden won’t be able to win an election on demonstrated effectiveness, authority, strength, or leadership.
Devoid of a moral foundation, he has no other choice.
Shea Bradley-Farrell, Ph.D., is president of Counterpoint Institute for Policy, Research and Education in Washington, D.C., and an expert in national security and foreign policy. Her latest book, "Last Warning to the West, Hungary’s Triumph Over Communism and the Woke Agenda," is available now at Amazon.
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