Uncle Sam Still Wants You

We’re Americans, with a capital ‘A’, huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We’re the underdog. We’re mutts! Here’s proof: his nose is cold! But there’s no animal that’s more faithful, that’s more loyal, more loveable than the mutt.

We’re American soldiers! We’ve been kicking ass for 200 years! We’re ten and one! All we have to do is to be the great American fighting soldier that is inside each one of us.

—The Movie Stripes (1981), Bill Murray as John Winger

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June 6, 1944, eighty years ago, 150,000 brave young men stormed France to put an end to one of the most horrific regimes in history, Nazi Germany. If you go to Bedford Virginia, you will see the results of years of effort by Carol Tuckwiller, who determined that 2,501 of the 4,414 allied soldiers, sailors, coast guardsmen, and airmen who died on D-Day were Americans. During the war, more than 400,000 service members died and, on D-Day alone, more than 5,000 Americans were wounded. 

They fought for America because they could see clearly that the alternatives offered by the enemy, Germany, Japan, and Italy, were terrible. The young men who charged into German machine guns on those French beaches were fighting for something they believed in—America. 

Today, it has all changed. Amongst those 18-34 only 18% say that are very or extremely proud to be Americans. Just ten years ago, that figure was 85%. It’s not surprising that military recruiting is suffering.

But young Americans are needed again because we are under attack, although in a different fashion, right now. The FBI Director has said that the “risks the government of China poses to U.S. national and economic security are “upon us now”—and that U.S. critical infrastructure is a prime target.” They have already infiltrated critical infrastructure networks and have planted malware inside U.S. computer systems from everything from safe drinking water to aviation traffic—which it can detonate “at a moment’s notice.” 

The commander of the United States Cyber Command says, “The cyber challenge posed by China is unlike any challenge ever faced by the U.S. and its allies.  We have to have offensive and defense capabilities.” In addition, they may already be attacking healthcare.

Meanwhile, Russia has begun a conventional European War again, the first since 1939; Iran is very close to developing nuclear weapons; China is set to forcibly conquer an ally of the United States, Taiwan; and some believe that North Korea’s Supreme Leader for Eternity is preparing for war.

While this is developing some young Americans are getting kudos from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and al Qaeda who simultaneously support “the assassination and beheading of Zionist unbelievers and occupiers from among the students of Western Universities…”

What is needed is more facts about the United States versus some of the countries that stand opposed to us.

1. Freedom—On a scale of 1(no freedom) to 100, the U.S. is ranked 70. Our main enemies are ranked:

   1. China 48

   2. Iran 41

   3. Russia 52

   4. North Korea 3
      

2. Per capita GDP—United States - $76,320

   1. China $12,720

   2. Russia $15,270

   3. Iran $4,670

   4. North Korea $900
      

3. Percent of population living on less than $6.85 per day—United States, <1%

   1. China 25%

   2. Iran 22%

   3. Russia 4%

   4. North Korea (not known but it is one of the poorest countries in the world)

We were and continue to be built by immigrants from all over the word seeking a better life—including freedom, wealth, justice by laws (not powerful people), economic opportunities, great educational institutions, stable political institutions, and high-quality healthcare. What’s more, when you come here, not only do you get all of that, but you don’t have to be a foreigner, you can choose to be an American.  

We are not necessarily the best in every category, but it is the package that people have been coming for since 1776 and they are still flooding the borders trying to get in.

It’s time for young people to move from being woke to being awake about why this country is worth defending and the dire threats we face. As Joni Mitchell once sang, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Don’t wait for another D-Day to find out.