18. All warfare is based on deception.

19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;

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DRS

Militarily:
First, I know our Generals are saying we’re over-stretched, but we aren’t. We can move 28,500 troops (http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200806/200806040010.html) from Korea and several tens of thousands more from from Japan and Germany.

While the Global Security link below shows troop strength in Japan as being 40,000 and another 73,000 in Germany, they’re old #s (see the info on Korea and Afghanistan, which are incorrect). http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/deploy.htm. Again though, there are tens of thousands of troops that can be moved quickly to any part of the world, should the need arise.
We aren’t doing it yet due to bi-lateral relations (i.e., economic reasons).

Even without moving 50,000+ troops from across the world, we’re getting to the point where we’re needing to put fewer and fewer of our best and bravest in actual danger. Between robots, UAV’s and other technologies, our forces are safer in deep, deep enemy territory than any other time in history.

Recently, approximately 1000 enemy forces were busted out of an Afghan prison and many of them have taken up in Arghandab, an area in Afghanistan the Russian’s were never able to conquer. Anyone want to bet “Coalition forces” take it in just a few days with minimal casualties? http://debka.com/headline_print.php?hid=5354.

Regarding energy security:
We don’t need to import energy~ we have plenty of our own. Now all we need is politicians with the backbone to stand up to the environmentalist groups and develop our internal resources. That’s coming.

Economic:
Though some may debate this, we’re still the largest and most diverse economy in the world. While we could’ve (RIGHTLY) plundered the oil from Iraq in exchange for our efforts there, we haven’t. Doesn’t sound like any other “empire” in history, does it?

While it is true that devaluation of the dollar and the lowering of U.S. interest rates makes foreign investors less interested in purchasing U.S. debt instruments, in the long term this is a good thing.
The Bible says “the debtor is servant to the lender”. China has on more than one occasion threatened to sink our economy by dumping the dollar. The more of our debt foreign countries own, the more leverage they hold over us. While it is true that the economy has slowed down, the people getting loans are worthy of them. FINALLY, we’re actually getting our financial house of cards in order again.

Oh, and guess what? Because of the decreased value of the dollar, export of U.S. manufactured products are attractive to foreign buyers again. Buyers are coming from Europe and Asia to go shopping because it’s cheap here.

In fact, companies and properties are beginning to look cheap to foreigners, too.
HELLO, WE MUST BE SMART ABOUT NOT SELLING SOME THINGS; FOR EXAMPLE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. HELLO!

Once energy prices get back on track, we’re going to have another boom period.

The rumors of our demise are highly exaggerated.

DRS