Recently, Joe Biden warned us that "standing up for our values is not without costs."

Terrible and inexcusable missteps have caused Joe Biden to seek ways that take the spotlight off his administration's many grotesque failures.  These policy failures make America vulnerable to perturbations and chaos occurring worldwide.  With a war between Russia and Ukraine, there will be an acceleration of significantly more economic pain (inflation, shortages, "supply-chain" disruptions, etc.).  Biden would like to "soften us up" for some economic "hard blows" we will endure in the coming days and months.  Using manipulation tactics and talking points about "our values," Biden hopes to coalesce national pride and a team spirit amid real economic pain and uncertainty.

His statement totally sidesteps questions like, "What are our values?"  And "Is Joe Biden helping or hindering standing up for our values?" 

People from all over the world still come to America to embrace American commitment to values providing liberty and justice for all.  Viewed through the lens of collective zeal for liberty, however, government-mandated vaccine policies and mandatory masking certainly do not comport with "our values."  Yet Biden continues these onerous mandates despite the growing scientific evidence showing they are far more damaging than helpful.

America's collective desire for liberty and justice extends to national sovereignty and border policies.  But open and marginally secured border policies encouraging illegal migration don't foster liberty or justice for Americans, nor for those who are trafficked.  Weak border policies also dramatically accelerate cartel drug- and weapon-trafficking.  Needless to say, these policies don't comport with "our values," either.  So, what exactly does Joe mean by "our values"?  

Recent polling confirms that Americans believe that "our values" include protecting national sovereignty via our own borders.  We think we should accomplish this before going around the world to protect other nations' borders.  It's hard to fathom, but Biden is much more zealous about protecting Ukraine's sovereignty (in fact, he's currently sending U.S. border agents to help protect Ukrainian borders) than protecting the sovereignty and security of America's borders.  Americans want to see a strong commitment to safeguarding sovereignty and "democracy" at home before becoming the world's police and champions of "democracy" elsewhere.  Get our own house in order first — that reflects the core of "our values"!

We also value energy independence as an essential American value.  Biden's policies that significantly limited drilling for oil and gas in America have weakened America and created unnecessary vulnerabilities to foes of the U.S.  Importing energy from nefarious nation-states seeking to undermine America's liberty — that isn't one of "our values."  Policies that produce energy independence to meet the demands of a vibrant economy while providing lower fuel costs are "our values"!  Biden seems purposely blind and ignorant about this American value as he embraces irrationality and imprudence. 

Notably, "our values" also demand safety in civil society.  Escalating crimes encouraged by "bail reform" and by "defunding" law enforcement agencies create chaotic and unsafe communities.  These policies are not "our values"!  Safe streets and communities where children can play without threat are quintessential American traditions and values.  Yet Biden's "soft on crime" initiatives (bolstered by his political party and supporters) have turned American streets and neighborhoods into battle zones.  With Biden policies that demonstrate leniency and partiality toward criminals, America doesn't stand for "liberty and justice for all" as it ignores prudence about safety concerns affecting law-abiding citizens. 

Ironically, Joe Biden provides an excellent opportunity for us to confirm "our values." If Biden is sincere, he will focus on immediate policies like securing U.S. national sovereignty (via borders).  He would do this before securing the borders of aligned partners in foreign lands.  He would also immediately focus upon halting the escalating cartel activities that rob us of fundamental decency via human-/sex-/drug-/weapon-trafficking.  With the "stroke of a pen," Biden would also advance American values by immediately reinitiating all drilling permits so America can once again become energy independent (as we were when he became president).  Lastly, he would make sure his supporters and political party renounce and denounce the "no bail" and "defund police" movements.  These policy moves would all reflect "our values."

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.