YOU'RE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE, TONY B

WITH THE INAUGARATION a week away, many Americans—fearful about the economy and uncertain about the future—are desperately pinning their hopes on Barack Obama and his "new New Deal."

But hopeful rhetoric, new programs with massive price tags, and "green investments" are not the solution, says bestselling author and syndicated columnist Tony Blankley. The solution lies in us; the solution lies in American Grit.

American Grit, Blankley's controversial new book, calls for a bold new nationalism—based on hard work, sacrifice, and policies that put America first—to tackle the global and domestic challenges facing our nation.

Blankley warns that Obama's socialist and environmentally sensitive agenda will weaken our embattled nation and invite new threats to America's economic and national security. Instead, Blankley prescribes his own compelling plan, calling upon the U.S. to implement:

A universal military draft to instill the unity, toughness, and cultural purpose lacking in America

An energy security policy where we become oil exporters and expand our diplomatic and economic options in the Middle East and around the world

A proactive, real-world communications strategy that showcases America as the true defender of freedom and opportunity

A new attitude that accepts the duties of citizenship instead of simply demanding more "rights" and "hand outs."

Yes, it's that simple. And I prefer to call this a radical centrist approach to fixing America. Thanks Mr. Blankley for your contribution to this vital reckoning of our times. America definitely needs to toughen up, or those who are tough (Russia, China, Middle East, Israel) will soon enslave the weak and despondent self-obsessed people we have become.

TWO PARABLES

AFTER READING ARCH-CONSERVATIVE Tony Blankley's syndicated article about the shortcomings of the presumptive Democratic nominee's worldview, two comments left on the site intrigued me even more than Mister Blankley's.

First, the comment by SoxConn:

Obama needs to go back to his sources of "principled diplomacy". One of the underlying principles was internationalizing "liberal capitalism" NOT internationalizing liberal socialism. There is a big difference in who controls the distribution of "fruits of labor", those that earn it or those elitists that want to socially engineer equality. It's been tried before in 1917 and 1924 to 1953 and failed.

Global Warming or Climate Change or whatever it is today is losing it's appeal as revenue (and political power) source because of conflicts with energy problems and a false foundation in consensus science. A goal of reducing "extreme poverty" 50% by 2015 is Miss Congenialty stuff. The guy needs a baseline in reality, not celebrityism.

The comment left by a woman who dubbed herself—Bandai—is even more likely to ring true for many of us:

My late husband and I worked way too hard and made good money. We could have had a great life in our retirement but for the fact that we both tried to help out our families, whose needs were endless, and whose ambition was limited to transferring our "wealth" to support their idleness.

My husband is now gone, and I struggle every month to make ends meet, but I had the good sense to turn off the constant drain on our resources after I was diagnosed with a progressive illness that will eventually be terminal and had to stop working.

Despite their solemn promises to repay the "loans" at the time of request, not one of them has ever repaid a dime. The family has long forgotten all the help they received from us, and I am resented for my necessary decision.

The point is, one working couple most likely cannot support an extended family in comfort in perpetuity; nor can one country sharing their wealth support the world and make everyone wealthy or happy.

And contrary to logic, our generosity will not win us the respect of the world, but rather resentment.

We can still do good in the world, just not by transferring our wealth, which we, as individuals, will eventually need to support ourselves. I volunteer my time to local organizations. Most of us have talents that can benefit others in some way.