Over the past several months, we have been exposed to a whirlwind of problems around the globe. From ISIS butchering thousands, to the civil war in Ukraine, to various political scandals here in America, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the world to explore all the crises. However, when it comes to the threats facing us from abroad, we need to be careful not to simply focus on the headline of the day. There are a multitude of threats. America must confront all of them head-on if we are to survive as a nation.

Islamic Terrorism: It’s Not Just ISIS

Obviously, ISIS takes center stage when it comes to terrorism. Never before has there been a group this savage, this effective, and this deadly. They have taken over swaths of the Middle East with frightening efficiency. They have captured headlines around the globe with their executions of prisoners on television, and their sheer barbarity. Not since the Nazis massacred millions has the world seen a group of people commit such violent acts. However, ISIS is not the only terror threat. As we just witnessed in Paris, Al Qaeda (or so it claims) is still very much alive and active, despite our President’s wishful claims to the contrary. In Yemen right now, Al Qaeda is fighting with ISIS for control as the entire government is collapsing around them. While Al Qaeda may not be as prominent as it once was, it still poses a very serious threat to America. Troubled Africa is host to a plethora of terrorist groups, the most prominent of which is Boko Haram. The week of the Paris terrorist attack, it slaughtered over 2000 innocent villagers, but the world media barely covered it. This group poses just as much a threat to us as ISIS does. True, they haven’t directly attacked the west, yet. It’s only a matter of time before, if left unchecked, they grow in wealth and power to become a force capable of launching attacks against the U.S. and our allies and interests.

Islamic terrorists are everywhere. They are in our country; they are probably in every country. Inspired by all these groups, they pledge to slaughter every last one of us, because they feel like it. There is no logic. There is no rationale. Nothing could possibly justify the atrocities these monsters have committed, and attempted to commit. We cannot negotiate. We cannot appease. All we can do is fight them in every battlefield – even when the nearest city is the front lines – and in every country where they spring up. We need to confront all of them head-on in order to stop them. We have the capability, we have the resources. All we need to do is act.

The Red Russian Bear Awakens…

For a while this past summer, the world watched with horror as Ukraine, a country many cannot even locate on a map, defiantly and daringly shook off its Russian-backed government and took real steps towards a legitimate western-friendly leadership. However, things weren’t so simple. The country soon devolved into civil war with Russian-backed rebels fighting a very bloody war. In most rational peoples’ minds, there is no question that these “rebels” are heavily backed by Russia, if not just Russian troops. Soon, the images of war and violence faded from the news (to be replaced by other images of war and violence from other parts of the world), and most people forgot about Ukraine. This is a mistake. This civil war is the opening move of a masterful chess game being played by Vladimir Putin. He wants his good ‘ol’ USSR back, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Mr. Putin seems to be returning to a Cold War state of mind, flying nuclear bombers off our West coast, and threatening America with Cold War era rhetoric. While ISIS does indeed pose a threat, it is nowhere as potentially severe as Russia. ISIS doesn’t have millions of troops, tanks, and nuclear weapons. Russia does. We cannot let Russia win the Ukrainian civil war. We need to send immediate aid to the Ukrainians and defend freedom. We are on the verge of a second Cold War, and we need to do whatever it takes to stop it before it grows beyond what we can contain.

And the Chinese Dragon Stirs

Not to be forgotten, China is seeking to assert its dominance in global affairs by building up its military. China is investing billions upon billions of dollars to upgrade and refine its military, and its making no attempts to hide who its target is; Us. Debuting their new aircraft carrier killer missiles, China very blatantly (without even having to say it) showed who its next target is. Which country is the only one in the world with aircraft carriers near China? You guessed it: America. China is seeking to build its own aircraft carriers, and is very close to succeeding. They are increasingly building more sophisticated weapons. They already are attacking online. Every day, some new U.S. installation is hacked by Chinese hackers that the government insists aren’t state-sponsored. Right! They continue to support the rogue regime of North Korea, in defiance of common sense. It may not make the headlines very much, but China is a threat that needs to be dealt with, soon.

“Stand Beside Her, and Guide Her.”

We live in a country like no other. We have freedoms unlike anywhere else on Earth. However, right now those freedoms are being threatened by an increasingly hostile world. We cannot see the crises brewing around us and shrug off the need to act firmly with courage and commitment. We have a duty to God and our country to stand up for what is right. We need to stand for freedom. When we are united, we can accomplish anything. There is no enemy that we cannot defeat, if we stand together. Ronald Reagan summed it up best:

“Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.”

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