Beto – USA Gov Policy

The entry of Beto O’Rourke into the 2020 Democrat presidential contest is actually more significant than it appears at first.

Robert Francis O’Rourke’s career in public life is noted more for his success in getting elected (or, in the case of his recent Senate campaign against incumbent Ted Cruz, nearly getting elected) than for what he did once he attained office. His three terms in the House of Representatives were not distinguished by any particular legislative activity. He has not taken any particularly noteworthy or innovative positions on the issues facing the nation, other than agreeing with some of the more general positions his party has clung to. He has been somewhat vague discussing his views. In an important Washington Post interview, he responded with calls for debates and discussions rather than offering his views on what appropriate actions or solutions should be.

But O’Rourke typifies the type of candidate the media loves to tout. He is young, reasonably attractive (some say his appearance and mannerisms are reminiscent of Robert Kennedy) and has the quirks and habits that play well on television. He plays guitar, skateboards, and is very digital-savvy (He started a software company, and it has been said that he was a member of a key hacker group.) Those who been attracted to him have been quite enthusiastic. His website even includes a “shop” where one can purchase Beto apparel and other items.

He has, as did Barack Obama in his first presidential bid, sought to cast a wide net for support, “We’re all in this together” reads the headline on his campaign web site. In a New York Times interview Michelle Goldberg notes that during his losing Senate run, “It was uncanny how much the candidate recalled Barack Obama circa 2008, and not just because of his gawky magnetism. Like Obama, O’Rourke is unapologetically progressive but offers a vision of post-partisan national unity.” The Wall Street Journal describes him as “…the fresh, elusive outsider like Carter, Clinton and Obama… Part of Mr. O’Rourke’s appeal is that he can relate to the whims and angst of youth. He played in a punk-rock band while attending Columbia University and after graduating worked itinerant jobs from a live-in nanny to an art mover. He eventually returned home to El Paso where he started a software business and ran for city council.”

In the Democrat field that increasingly drifts towards extremism, anti-religious bigotry and the support of socialism which has wrought devastation wherever it has been implemented, he stands out not so much for what he says but for what he doesn’t say.

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Far too often, candidates who lack a distinguished record in public service, elected office (other than actually getting elected) or the private sector, and who fail to offer any practical suggestions on the challenges facing the nation, are rising to high levels of prominence in U.S. politics.

Included in that list of “lacks” is a disturbing acceptance of sheer ignorance. One may agree or disagree with the hard-left positions of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) but it is hard to hide the fact that her low font of knowledge is truly troubling. She is, however, young, attractive, and has a certain charisma.

In essence, the qualities that the media favors and dwells on are not those necessary for good leadership, but those that make fun reading or reporting, or, in social-media terms, good “click-bait.” A distinct lack of knowledge, even the advocacy of truly mistaken and dangerous ideas such as socialism and anti-Semitism, are overlooked if the candidate is “cool.”

The fact is, politics in 2019 America are beginning to resemble those more common to high-school elections of Prom Kings and Queens than U.S. Commanders-in-Chiefs.

Illustration: Beto O’Rourke official portrait

The paradigm has shifted in western politics, and not for the better.

Since the end of the Second World War, most nations in what has been known as “the Free World” had no tolerance for the use of physical force or overt bias against individuals because of their religious beliefs. While disputes were often harsh and bitter, it was the general opinion that accepting the results of elections was an unquestioned good practice.

However, in 2016, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, the results of free and fair elections have been challenged by elites who are bitter about losing and are doing everything possible to ignore the will of the voters. In America, that means delegitimizing the Trump Administration. There have been violent demonstrations, and acts of violence against those identifying as supporters of the President. In Great Britain, where some Tory politicians have joined with their left-wing rivals in a grand alliance of the elites, it involves trying to ignore the demands of the British people to leave the European Union.

Two key factors have dramatically altered the dynamic towards democracy that occurred after the Second World War. It has been credibly argued that they are directly related.

Despite the potential for greater democratization of political discussion resulting from widespread use of the internet, the command of that vast medium by those with leftist perspectives and their continual exclusion of those that disagree with them represents the most visible rise of the elites, a counter-revolution of sorts against what had been the increase in influence of the common man or woman.

Throughout history, the possession of power by elites, whether in the guise of emperors, monarchs, aristocrats or dictators has been the norm, not the exception.

That changed in the New World with the rise of the United States. The French Revolution did not yield a similar result, but gradually, some European nations achieved a lesser but still salutary level of freedom.

The tide turned against personal liberty with the rise of Communism in Russia, Fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany, and imperialism in Japan. Allied victory in World War II allowed all of the Axis Powers but Russia (the USSR was originally allied with Hitler but switched sides when Germany attacked it) to again tread the path of democratization.

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The tide is, worryingly, turning again. The New Left, intolerant of dissent, guided by those who feel morally superior and possessing sufficient power to heavily influence key institutions such as the media, education and other essential levers, have, in essence, initiated a counterrevolution against democracy.

There are two wings to the New Left.

The ideologues, some of whom are young and with an insufficient comprehension of the evils of centralized control, express their beliefs through strident, inaccurate and often thoroughly illogical statements, often accompanied by violence or the threat thereof. Many have picked up their inclinations as a result of a politically biased, left-leaning education, propped up by the entertainment industry (which is now partially financed by Chinese investors.)

Ignorance plays a key role in their political orientation. Listen to a press conference with their standard-bearers, such as newly elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. One can argue about her political philosophy, but her staggering lack of logical thinking and her blithe disregard of facts is beyond question.

Ignorance is apparently no barrier to the progress of the careers of the New Left. Consider “Beto” O’Rourke, widely touted as a potential Democratic Party candidate for president in 2020. CNN says of the young Congressman:

“There’s zero question as to who the buzziest candidate — or potential candidate — in the 2020 Democratic presidential race is. It’s Beto O’Rourke. And it’s not close.” However, CNN goes on to note: “But for all the excitement … there’s still a whole lot that people don’t know about him. And more importantly, a lot that O’Rourke doesn’t know. That fuzzy knowledge was on awkward display in a lengthy…interview in El Paso…The answer to every policy question can’t simply be, “Man, I don’t know. We are going to have to talk to everyday Americans and then roll our sleeves up and get something done for the country.”

The second wing is a historically more familiar group. Where once control was wielded by those with ties to royalty, the “nobility” of the 21^st century gains its strength from dominant positions in key areas or through the sheer power of their purse. Despite their acquisition of their wealth through capitalism, they seek to institutionalize control through the centralization of authority, a hallmark of socialism, with themselves at the helm, either publicly or behind the scene.

The rise of socialism, just another excuse for centralized control, will prove disastrous, economically and in terms of human rights, if successful. Recognizing that reality is the first step in preventing it from occurring.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

China’s Tech Targets

Chinese technology is changing and its leadership is using it, along with espionage, to challenge the West in a number of critical areas. The United States is only one of its targets. Previously, Beijing’s spies primarily sought Western technologies as a way to skip generations of develop cost and time to modernize its economy. Today, its acquisition of advanced technologies, and now also its indigenous development, makes the communist giant a threat to freedom-loving people everywhere. This week Nan Mulchandani, the CIA’s chief technology officer, said Director William Burns is preparing for an “infinite race” with Beijing for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. He argues the US must pivot toward providing American spies with the latest transformative technologies to outcompete China. Mulchandani says this means updating everything the agency does “from operations to the analytic function, support functions and other piece there.” America, he suggests, needs to alter its thinking toward viewing this not as a race with a finite end point, but as an ongoing competition. Mr. Mulchandani predicted that the next area of competition would “be primarily a software war that is powered by something like AI” rather than hardware fueled by software. That competition, however, is not confined to simply acquiring critical technologies for use in the future. China is also challenging the US in space. China announced today it launched a groundbreaking mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the moon. The space capsule will arrive in four days and collect 4.4 pounds of moon rocks and regolith, or moon dirt. Beijing’s desire to one day become a space power and scientific force is for pragmatic purposes in 2024 a fait accompli. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said during a NASA budget hearing this week, that “while the US remains the global leader in space exploration, we face increasing challenges internationally.” Referring to China’s space station, Lucas said: “We cannot allow China to become the front-runner in space exploration… There are too many consequences for our competitiveness, our national security, and our continued ability to explore space.” A new report released this week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says that the United States, to further its geopolitical interests and maintain a strong domestic economy, must approach every aspect of economic and trade policy through the lens of global technology competition. The Biden Administration’s approach, it says, discounts the landscape of competition between China and the US and may “jeopardize US advancements in emerging technologies… which could cede the advantage to China….” In particular, the report recommends that the US take action now because quantum and artificial intelligence (AI) need a federal policy to ensure the country can spur the entrepreneurship and R&D efforts foundational to the strength of the technology sector. As China’s Communist Party (CCP) becomes more hostile to the United States and other Western nations, its aggressive activities abroad expand and intensify. Chinese spy cases far outnumber those of Russia and every other nation. CSIS reports that since President Xi took over in 2012 there have been 224 incidents of spying. Estimates of the long -term economic, scientific, and national security cost to the US run into the billions and have “created immeasurable damage to national security with the theft of weapons technology, including nuclear weapons test data… China has added the theft of massive quantities of personal information, political coercion, and influence operations, to its espionage activities.” The CSIS reports says that 49% of incidents of spying in the US directly involved Chinese military or government employees, with private Chinese citizens accounted for 41%. In 29% of the espionage cases the person involved was attempting to acquire military technology, while in 54% of the incidents it was related to commercial technologies. Almost half of the cases involved cyber espionage, usually by state—affiliated actors. No matter where one turns today China is challenging the West, from the depths of our oceans to outer space. The United States cannot count on China to be a good global citizen and refrain from attempting to enforce its vision of world order with Beijing at the apex. The time is growing short for the West to take action. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept.