Ray Ivie

Heath, TX

Ray Ivie

CAPT, USN (ret)

Heath, TX

For many decades North East Texas has been blessed with the strong representation in Washington DC of Congressman Ralph Hall.  He has selflessly dedicated many long hours, missed family holidays and suffered the personal assaults of self-promoting politicos from both sides of the aisle.  During this time he has stood stalwart; defending the best interests of his constituents, regardless of their, or his, political affiliation.  In the Spring Primary 2008 he will be facing at least 3 opponents.  I do not have in depth knowledge of these persons, but I do know surviving and conducting the business of East Texans in Washington DC requires vast diplomatic experience, a strong sense of character, and the strength of moral understanding we will only receive from Congressman Hall.  The Washington DC jungle has become more and more treacherous … with the onset of terrorism and a war we must wage to protect the freedoms of our descendants … assaults on the rights of Christians, from left-wing organizations, in an intensity not seen since the Roman Empire … an influx of foreign soft-money donations intended to buy favors from liberal representatives … enormous tax-the-many-spend-to-benefit-the-few entitlement programs of Democrats at the cost of our Nation’s declining infrastructure … and the exponential increase in partisan divisions.  These divisions are lucidly illustrated in the ongoing Presidential Debates … divisions between the parties … where Democrats plan to fund even larger entitlement programs to purchase votes, whereas Republicans will provide incentives and opportunity to benefit all Americans … and within the parties as in the Pro-Life/pro-choice discussion.

Congressman Hall has proven skills merging and unifying adversarial positions … finding common-ground compromises to unite people … negotiating fair, equitable resolutions to complex issues … thus, turning problems into opportunities.  No opponent can offer the Diplomatic Skills and Statesmanship Congressman Hall has perfected over his many years of service … skills necessary for East Texans to be adequately represented in Washington DC and, at times, in the International Arena.  It is imperative that we work to keep Congressman Hall as our Representative on Capitol Hill to protect the rights we East Texans value and hold so dear.

Kindest Regards to All,

Renee Ivie

Winning against terrorism means staying alive, minimizing changes in our life styles, and understanding there will be no surrender of the enemy.  In fact who do you think would or could offer a truce or surrender?  Who represents the enemy?  Or for that matter, who exactly is the enemy?  They have no recognizable borders, government or infrastructure. If we accepted their surrender; do you believe they and millions of other extremist would honor it?  What would we do with the terrorists at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base? No other country will accept them, so would we ship them to Massachusetts or California and say you’re free now … maybe even give them US citizenship? It may sound absurd, but that is exactly what some are suggesting.

 I’m not racist or anti-Muslim, but I am anti-radical Islamic terrorist. Only a small percentage of Muslims fall into this category, but that is still a very large number.  Yes, there are other terrorist organizations out there that are not Islamic or even religion based.  However, the greatest threat to the U.S, the West and modern civilization in general is from this group.  We must understand that they have uncompromising beliefs that include reestablishing Islamic states under Sharia law, thus, restoring dominance of the Muslim world, rejection of western culture and modern ideas/technology, destruction of Israel, and expansion of Muslim belief and authority worldwide.  To accomplish these goals, they are calling on all Muslims to rise up and fight.  They are serious and steadfast in their beliefs and determination and therefore we must be as well.  We were told from the beginning that this war would be long, yet after only 6 years we are saying lets get it over.  If we left Iraq and Afghanistan today; the enemy is not going to stop trying to kill us and leave us alone?  Remember, even pacifist countries like Spain and Malaysia have suffered attacks. Afghanistan and Iraq are just two current battlegrounds.  A total victory for us in these countries will not end the war; however, a defeat will definitely strengthen our enemy.  In the long-run, time should be on our side, as terrorism has never been sustainable without state support.  However, if/when an Islamic terrorist group obtains weapons of mass destruction (WMD), this will redefine the entire equation.  Undoubtedly, when this occurs, the terrorists will eagerly use them ... there will be no warning, negotiation, compassion or sympathy.  They will use them in locations causing the greatest loss of life and damage possible; the age, gender or religion of their victims will not be a factor. This incident will impact the entire global lifestyle, immediately impacting every one of us.  This is why the events in Pakistan are so concerning. The media is dwelling on the President and former Prime Minister’s power struggle, but the real danger, that both of them are most fearful of, is the serious threat of Islamic radicals taking over the country.  A country with 50 or more nuclear weapons!  Therefore, we are in a race against time requiring actions based on incomplete and imperfect intelligence, acceptance of mistakes by our leaders, a long term commitment by our government, and more importantly commitment from the American public. 

In our battle against terrorism, the US has lost approximately 3900 military and 3000 civilians (on 9/11).  Comparatively, we lost over 6,600 people on D-Day alone and approximately 48,000 (USA/CSA) in the 3 days of Gettysburg.  Additionally, most people receiving Social Security today have stories about the sacrifices made on the home front during WWII.  However, we have had few true sacrifices in the War on Terror other than minor inconveniences at airports and the non-intrusive surveillance of very selective people. Of course families with military members and employers of Reserve and National Guard troops have been affected, but in general, the US military is at war, not America.  Unfortunately, there will be more loss of life and we will likely begin personally sacrificing much more than a few long lines and personal searches before this war is over.

OK, once again I have painted a dire picture; therefore, I must offer possible solutions and hope. There are no quick fixes, but the enemy of our enemy is education, prosperity and interaction/connectivity with the outside world, and a secret weapon … women.  This requires both military and non military actions.  Currently our enemies’ children are educated in hate and destruction, not acceptance of others; an acceptance we take for granted in the US.   Our enemy preys on the poor, uneducated and disconnected.  That is not to say that our enemies’ leaders are poor or uneducated … quite the opposite.  In fact, some are from wealthy families and were educated at Western universities.  Of course, these are not the ones who blow themselves up … these are the ones who “lead”, influencing the masses with hate and fear, and instructing others to blow themselves up.  If we, and the rest of the civilized world, can communicate with these peoples, we can eventually change their thoughts and behaviors.  Information, truth and time is on our side.  Technology is making it very difficult for anyone in the world to remain completely ignorant and disconnected in the future.  Educated and informed people will not follow these ideologies or sociopath leaders for long.  The hard part is, who reaches these groups? How long will it take?  Can we accept the losses and challenges in the interim time?  This requires much more than a military answer.  The military’s role is to protect, defend and contain the threats.  The best way to minimize our losses is keeping the enemy on the defensive and restricting their ability to operate.  This includes military and other government actions, i.e. preventing the funding of terrorism and disrupting their communications.  The US military and government organizations are effectively trained and equipped to execute this part of the equation, but can not do it alone.  Therefore, a key role will be for the US to support and help other countries contain and prevent the growth of radical Islam in their countries also. The harder part, and key to winning the war, is the reeducation and dissemination of positive information, otherwise known as changing the hearts and minds of potential enemy recruits.  This will require the moderate and mainstream elements of the Muslim religion to demonstrate their rejection of violent extremism and get their message of acceptance and peaceful coexistence with other cultures, religions and technological advancements.  The tactics of the extremist can clearly be used against them, as we are now seeing in Iraq.  Violence and intimidation against the West and even other Muslims and a backward vision of the future, as demonstrate by the Taliban, do not sell well to people as they experience freedom of expression, information and movement. As we have seen after our liberation and begin educating women in Afghanistan, mothers undoubtedly have influence over the “hate and suicide” education their children receive and can be strong allies.  As more people become connected to the modern world, these extremist ideas and views are exposed and rejected. 

Once again, time should be on our side if we have the patience and commitment to allow the process to complete and we can prevent the use of WMDs.  We can hope that the rest of the modern world will realize the real threat and help as well. Hopefully that isn’t too late.  As the only current Super Power and the focus of our enemy’s efforts, the US must continue to lead the world against the enemy.  We are the only nation that can do so.  Unfortunately we are busy fighting amongst ourselves rather than leading the civilized world.  That is why we must stand united again as a nation and fight militarily, politically, financially and culturally against the enemy, not amongst ourselves. This requires all Americans, not just our military or our government.  We have other serious problems and challenges within, but nothing like the challenge to our way of life and even existence that this threat presents.  We need real leaders, not self promoting piranha.  It is time to tell the people we hired, our elected officials, to lead, stop bickering between parties and face the real threat as united Americans.  If we don’t, and they don’t, which party is in power will not matter at all. We all need to get serious about fighting and winning this war; our enemy is.  Remember, terrorism has never won a war, and will never win, unless the targeted group gives up.

Ray Ivie

Heath, TX

While most Americans are focused on the war in Iraq, China is rapidly expanding its’ military and Russia is attempting to regain Super Power status and influence.  Today, America remains the lone Super Power after the fall and break up of the Soviet Union almost two decades ago.  A Super Power is defined as a nation with the Political, Military and Economic presence to dictate, or strongly influence, world events.  It is clear China is quickly gaining ground toward this goal; recently we have seen Russia taking actions to recapture the title as well.  Is this a bad thing?  Not necessarily.  China has a rapidly expanding economy which they are using to build global military capability, secure energy resources and establish influence in Africa and other parts of the world.  However, I do not believe China wants direct confrontation with the U.S., but they do desire the power to counter U.S. influence and to become a peer on the world stage.  Ironically, America is funding this growth by buying most of our manufactured items from China.  Go into any Walmart, Home Depot or other large store and you will be hard pressed to find any item that was not produced in China.  The low prices are great for American consumers, but have really taken a toll on U.S. and other traditional trading partner countries’ industries and workers.  Many products lack quality, but in today’s disposable society, who cares?  Unfortunately, as we have recently seen, safety of these products has been overlooked.  As a young child, I remember hearing the same thing about Japanese products.  Of course today Japanese products set quality and safety standards in many industries; will we see the same evolution from China?  Possibly, but to do so, they will need to move further away from socialism and closer toward capitalist-styled employee incentives.  This is where it gets tricky.  The Communist party in China wants to have it both ways, increased standards of living, but still under communist control.  Russia has a separate motivation.  They see China rising quickly and feel left out and eager to regain a status they once enjoyed.  Russia is using their vast energy reserves to gain economic strength as well as selling military hardware to China, India, Iran and others.  Energy … specifically oil … is a common element amongst all powers.  China and India have rapidly growing oil consumption needs while Russia and Iran are building wealth supplying it.  This is a critical variable for America and the West to monitor, as we are dependent on oil for our continued wealth and power and competition for these finite resources will inevitably cause friction.  As Congressman Hall often states, energy was the driving force behind most wars and conflicts in the 20^th Century.  This is why it is important for the US to find alternate energy sources, including increased US oil and gas exploration to avoid continued reliance and direct confrontation over Middle East oil.

The majority of Russians long for the “good ole days” of Communism.  Like all people, they selectively remember the good and disregard the bad.  After almost two decades of promising reforms, it appears the Russian leaders are attempting to control rapidly spreading capitalism inside Russia by balancing democracy with socialism.  We also see Russia rebuilding their military and flexing its muscle, as recently demonstrated by resuming flying Bear reconnaissance aircraft off the US coasts and Blackjack supersonic bombers off European coastlines.  They may possess old aircraft and rusty ships today, but are building new generation fighters, bombers and ships to reestablish global presence and power. They are also challenging U.S. plans to deploy missile defense systems in former Eastern Block countries while at the same time demonstrating a new “super sized” conventional bomb.  However, unlike the former Soviet Union, I do not believe Russia is trying to spreading communism or world domination; like China, they want to be strong enough militarily and economically to counter America’s influence.

In short, America’s position as the sole Super Power could easily change.  This may not be entirely bad either.  As other countries become Super Powers, the U.S. may have the opportunity to shed some of the responsibility for managing world problems with others.  Of course, the US must be willing to do so and can not afford any further military, economic or political decline in order to retain our dominant position…  So what do I foresee in the next 25 years? … I see three Super Powers, increased competition for energy and trade disputes. However, I also see continued threats from Islamic fanatics, which affect all of us.  It’s not as grim as it sounds.  This common threat could out weigh serious friction between the Super Powers.  The growing radical Islamic populations in third world countries are as much of a problem for Russia and China as it is for us.  Russia has a decreasing ethnic Russian population and China has internal ethnic problems.  Both countries also have Muslim nations on their borders creating concerns for both.  The largest population increase happens to be in the worlds most depressed and poor countries. Radical Islam grows rapidly in these countries due to their populations’ lack of education, sophistication and general interaction with the rest of the world.  We must choose to cooperate and address this common challenge without, creating new conflicts amongst with each other directly, or using proxies as we all have in the past.  The worst scenario would be allowing our differences as Super Powers to drive Russia or China toward alliances with Islamic countries or become world power brokers between the West and Islamic nations or organizations.

  These are the some of the security and foreign affairs challenges facing the next President.  Too often, Americans vote for their President based on domestic issues and ignore external affairs.  Unfortunately, terrorism and competition from China and Russia will have a direct affect on domestic prosperity, freedom and possibly the future of the United States status and advantages as a Super Power.  These issues can not be taken lightly.  Don’t take your choice for President lightly or in a vacuum.

Ray Ivie

CAPT USN (Ret)

Heath, TX

However, I’m not one to complain without offering some recommended solutions.  First is a Constitutional amendment concerning term limits.  I am normally the last person that wants to see our US Constitution amended, as I believe our founding fathers crafted one of the most perfect documents ever written.  However, only an amendment would mandate term limits across all states.  If states established term limits individually, they would be cutting their own throats, since their members would never become Chairmen or senior committee members.  They would also be challenged as unconstitutional, as they were before.  I therefore believe an amendment establishing 24 years as the limit should be presented to the states and their voters.  Why so long? I believe it is important to have experienced members and to match up time limits between the House and Senate; but believe 24 years allows for a full career and provides the public the ability to support good members, while preventing absolute empires from being built where it is impossible for anyone to run against them.  When members reach the point of no serious competition, they are almost uncontrollable.  24 year term limits allow plenty of time for key members to develop the experience and serve as Chairmen and committee leaders.   However, we could not grandfather the change.  The limit needs to take affect at the next election, meaning members beyond 24 years would be ineligible to run.  This would open many seats that have been occupied by the same person for too many years.  In some cases over half a century.  We would loose some good members, but as we said in the Navy “they have honorably completed their duty, but now it is time turn over the watch”. 

My second recommendation would be to change the House of Representative’s terms from two years to four years.  Our Founder Fathers hoped that short terms would make the House more responsive to the people.  Unfortunately in today’s 24/7 news cycles and polls, this has lead to over responsiveness, knee jerk policies and constant campaigning.  Increasing House terms to four years, would hopefully allow Congressmen to think in longer terms and not be as beholden to big campaign contributors or over reactionary to events and polls.  Just as the Senate currently does, I would recommend alternating elections every two years to elect ½ the members every two years. 

   These changes may not solve all the problems, but it would definitely help.  The only real solution is for us, the taxpayers, to stay informed and hold our EMPLOYEES accountable.  Remember one of President Reagan’s best quotes, “Trust but Verify”.  It works for many things in life.

Ray Ivie

Heath, TX