Oh Say Can You See "America"

This in-depth preface is purposely designed to place the reader in the correct frame of mind to grasp the gravity of the situation facing America and comprehend the downward spiral we have entered collectively as a nation. The United States' hegemony, competitive advantage, economic interests, national security, social construct, morality, and military capability are being threatened and contested on multiple levels, internally and externally. The global situation has escalated to a point where our past global retreat and inactions are now forcing us to face significantly more risk. It is imperative that we adopt a more deliberate and strategic foreign policy posture, spend significantly more on targeted foreign investments, reengage partners, fix our sociocultural crisis, and develop new alliances to not fade away into irrelevance as so many great empires did throughout history. For too long, our nation's foreign policy elites and establishment gurus, irrespective of the political party, have told us, the people, to "trust them," keep passing the budgets, and give us what we request. 'Yes, we know it has not yielded any results over the past three decades, but don't worry, we will keep you safe and secure, trust us." Maybe an excellent phrase to use here is "hogwash." We, the people, need to be energized, follow world and domestic affairs, and make good decisions at the ballot boxes. Understanding that this is how "we the people" dictate our country's future and force politicians to work on our behalf is critical to preserving our democracy and staying informed about issues affecting us. Oh, say, can you see "America" is written with the intention of giving busy readers and the electorate a summary perspective on several different issues that affect us singularly as a nation, regionally as a country, and globally as a competing power. In the context of writing styles, this book has an aura of simplification and reiterating points throughout the book that I wanted to drive home. It is purposefully done to give the reader a "common sense" perspective rather than a scholastic paper filled with dry facts and data. Hopefully, this book will create more questions than answers and spark lively debates among families, friends, and colleagues. Please ask the tough questions, debate with an open mind, do not follow talking points, get information from different sources on both sides, and then use your common sense to see the truth of actions.