TRUE WORDS OF WISDOM – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:31 A.M. ET:  Retired Marine General James Mattis, former head of CENTCOM, has given a very blunt assessment of our situation in the world.  From the Washington Times: 

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis said the U.S. is suffering “strategic atrophy” that will threaten the long-term security of the nation.

The retired general and former Central Command (CENTCOM) commander made the remarks while speaking at the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

“The perception [among allies] is we’re pulling back,” Gen. Mattis said, the U.S. Naval Institute reported Thursday.

The conversation with Gen. Mattis covered a variety of topics, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire “to break NATO apart,” to China, which “is doing a pretty good job of finding friction points between our allies,” USNI reported.

Gen. Mattis praised the United Arab Emirates and Jordan for aiding the U.S. coalition in its fight against the Islamic State group. He added that he has “no doubt” that any foreign policy missteps can be rectified with the right leadership.

COMMENT:  That, of course, is the key.  The right leadership.  Mattis was plainly calling for new leadership in the United States.  We will have the chance to answer his call next year.  We'd better answer it correctly, for the future of this country is very much on the line. 

Mattis also said, "“The greatest generation taught us that if you don’t talk about something then things will go wrong fast."  So true, so true.

May 24, 2015