Before we try to appease the world and mix ourselves in other people's lives and business, it is our duty and the duty of our President, the House of Representatives, and the Senate to try to appease the unhappiness of a large part of our people.  Only with cooperation can we solve any problem.

We have to stop all the name calling and finger pointing toward our fellow Americans. We should not forget how many died and how many were wounded during the revolutionary war and the civil war and not to forget the many wars our people fought and during which many have sacrificed their lives.

If we ought to heal the world, we have to start first at home. There will be no success in our endeavor if even the smallest part of our nation is left behind.

I am pleased that President Obama chose for Secretary of Defense the nominee, Republican former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel.  I hope he will succeed to cut the waste while staying patriotic. I understand that many oppose him because they claim that he is against Israel. I heard that he denied these allegations. If Chuck Hagel is accepted, this will be an opportunity for him to show his concern for Israel and to address the Iranian threat. I hope that Obama will continue on this path and include Republicans in his cabinet, particularly for the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and other positions.

I understand that there is a lot of waste in the administration. But we should be very selective in wanting to cut waste. I hope that this time the Democrats and the Republicans will find the right way to work together, like during President Reagan and President Clinton. We should keep in mind that we have enough people who are unemployed and need jobs. They are ready to work.

We have to find lucrative projects which can help the economy. We have enough oil reserves in the United States, we have a great agriculture and we have good, skilled workers. I understand that Obama is the president and he is responsible for choosing the secretary for every department, but he would be well advised if he chose a good Republican to make the economy work and foster the creation of jobs for our people who are starving. But we have to understand that increasing taxes creates the opposite. He would be best off if he would not get stuck in the ideological details that lead nowhere. As president of the entire nation he should be more pragmatic.

I hope that these budget cuts will not touch the American ships, planes and big hardware, while the Chinese are reinforcing their fleet and air defense. The dismantling of our power should be the last resort.  If we have to cut budgets, it should not be at the expense of our power. We don’t want to be left in a state where the American power can no longer prevent Iran from completing its nuclear program, as we promised. 

Mr. President, the man who wrote these lines came to the United States forty years ago to enjoy the freedom and the liberty known to the entire world. He brought with him equipment and know-how. He created jobs, directly and indirectly. 

Do you want to change this way of life and imitate the Europeans, the Russians, or the Chinese, whose dream was to copy us? Our duty is to stay away from hatred and find a way to resolve any problem through goodwill, cooperation and love, like President Reagan and President Clinton did.

Copyright 2013 Emile Tubiana