With all of the issues surrounding security threats to the United States, it can sometimes be difficult to keep all of them straight. Between the various terrorist attacks around the world, especially in Turkey and Germany in recent days, it can be a full time job. That’s no more apparent than with the determination of 17 different US intelligence services including the CIA, the NSA, the DOD and the FBI. It’s a bit difficult to push back when the evidence the US government released in the declassified intelligence report on the Russian influence in the election is so extensive. But what does it mean? What is the lesson that is sitting there in between the lines? Where do we really stand? It Might Be True, But It Isn’t Why Clinton Lost First and foremost, it’s essential to point out that whereas the Kremlin might have wanted Trump to be in office, so did almost 63 million Americans. Whereas President-elect Trump lost the popular vote by an historic margin, he won where it counted — in the heartland of the country. This is Nine Line country as well, where we understand the threat that comes from ISIS and unchecked Islamic extremism. This is where we share our values of family, faith, friends, flag and firearms. This is something that the leftist coastal elites don’t understand. This is why their candidate lost. Whereas Secretary Clinton fought a tough campaign, she still didn’t eek out the electoral victory needed to win the presidency. Even if you removed 50 or more electoral votes from President-elect Trump — easily the value of several states — Secretary Clinton wouldn’t have pulled out ahead. Thus, even if Russia had never involved itself in American electoral politics, President-elect Trump would still be the President-elect. That is indisputable. But Even So, It’s Still Concerning People really should read through the declassified report on Russian interference in the US election. It’s a real problem and a real threat to our democracy. The problem is that in an increasingly uncertain world, it’s essential that we take 100% control of offensive and defensive cyber security in the world. The very fact that we were hacked to the extent that we were (remember, even the GOP had its email security breached — but those emails were not provided to wikileaks which is demonstrably one-sided). Regardless of the context, the United States is the leader of the free world. As such, we must lead in all aspects of defense. We cannot simply sit back and let another guy on the block eat our lunch. This is exactly what Vladimir Putin did, and exactly what he ordered his state intelligence services to carry out. Patriots Must Step Up This is a great example of why it’s so essential to raise the next generation properly. As we all get older, our connection to new technology becomes more and more dubious. Younger generations inherently know technology. That’s why my family typically calls my fifteen year-old cousin when having computer issues. And that’s also why we need to encourage the youth these days to fully develop those skills in technology and “screen time” to be used for the defense of freedom. It used to be that our greatest threat came from nuclear. But Russia’s hack into Vermont’s power grid is a stark reminder that our biggest problem likely won’t come from a missile or nuclear bomb. It will come from a cyber-terrorist opening a dam or crashing an airport control tower server. We need a new generation to help us fight this threat. Kicking in doors is an essential skill for our military. But we’re coming into an era where those skills aren’t enough to completely win. We need our kids to be great patriots. Parents, your work starts now.
