Economically we also will suffer if the majority tries to re-impose bans
on drilling for oil and natural gas off the coasts. We are sitting on a
wealth of energy resources which could help make us more
energy-independent and allow us to stop sending American dollars to
tyrants who hate us and oppress their own people. If Congress and the
new President were to re-impose this ban it would set us back decades in
the realm of energy. The election also decreases our prospects for
building nuclear power plants.
In the area of foreign relations it is difficult to predict how the new
Congress and President will handle the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
though the consequences of an unsuccessful retreat would be staggering
for our national security interests at home and abroad. Authoritarians
in Russia, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and other countries hate us.
Any sign of weakness would give them the upper hand in foreign relations
and allow them to dictate the dialogue. It may be more important than
ever for us to cooperate with governments which are pro-American or
reasonably so.
We also should be vigilant about our border security and illegal
immigration, particularly as violence in Mexico and along our Southern
Border increases as drug cartels battle for control. And, as this
column mentioned on Tuesday, we must reevaluate the efficiency and
practicality of our foreign aid. Congress may try to increase this to
unprecedented levels while substantially cutting the funding for our
military. We can afford neither, for a variety of economic and
non-economic reasons.
The independence and Constitutional role of the Federal Judiciary could
be in jeopardy, perhaps the greatest long-term risk of all. Imagine an
extensive number of Supreme Court Justices and other Federal Judges who
exercise a fluid, amorphous view of the Constitution, treating it as a
flexible paper upon which new interpretations can be imposed and in
which new rights can be found.