Undoubtedly many can remember The Emperor’s New Clothes written by Hans Christian Andersen. The plot is as follows: Two swindlers arrive at the capital city of an emperor who spends lavishly on clothing at the expense of his subjects. Posing as weavers, they offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are either stupid or incompetent, and the emperor hires them to go to work. A succession of officials, including the emperor himself, visit the “weavers” to check their progress; each visitor observes empty looms, but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought of as a fool.

Finally, the “weavers” report that the emperor’s suit is finished. They “dress” him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled. Although startled, the emperor continues the procession, walking more proudly than ever.

Even though this was written over one hundred years ago, the plot line seems somewhat familiar to today. Yes, let’s see… Over the last two years, we’ve gone from being a nation that was energy independent to one that must rely on drawing from its own strategic petroleum reserve and countries hostile to the United States. Our once relatively secure borders have basically vanished and serve as a gateway for an influx of illegal immigrants and drugs, creating a surge in business for the Mexican cartels. A once robust economy continues to sputter and stall as inflation continues to thwart economic growth; meanwhile members of the Democrat party and the current administration pretend all is well and good.

The United States Constitution charges the federal government with its primary responsibilities, including the duty to provide for “the common defense,” yet our military readiness and ability to fight a war continues to spiral in decline. We fail to meet recruiting goals, and our munitions that would be required to defend our nation have been seriously impacted due to our ever-flowing stream of aid to Ukraine to fight a proxy war against Russia.

Our military was once able to fight two simultaneous Major Regional Conflicts (barely) and I seriously doubt that now we have the material, manpower, and resolve to handle one; an incredibly sad state of affairs for the world’s undisputed superpower. Our political and military leaders can make excuses, but when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is preoccupied with wanting to “understand white rage,” climate change, and other social engineering issues versus warfighting, it is time for a reset.

However, there is hope as many Americans, including members of the Democrat party, do not want Joe Biden to run for reelection—it is time for him to move on. They as the child have now realized that the emperor truly has no clothes.

Image: Public Domain.