How should America prioritize to ensure the freedoms, privacies and pursuits of happiness we have enjoyed?

Get our economic house in order first.
Economic well being prepends ALL OTHER CONDITIONS

Mark Steyn in The New Criterion:

According to the Congressional Budget Office’s 2010 long-term budget outlook, by 2020 the U.S. government will be paying between 15 and 20 percent of its revenues in debt interest—whereas defense spending will be down to between 14 and 16 percent. America will be spending more on debt interest than China, Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India, Italy, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Spain, Turkey, and Israel spend on their militariescombined. The superpower will have advanced from a nation of aircraft carriers to a nation of debt carriers.

What does that mean? In 2009, the United States spent about $665 billion on its military, the Chinese about $99 billion. If Beijing continues to buy American debt at the rate it has in recent years, then within a half-decade or so U.S. interest payments on that debt will be covering the entire cost of the Chinese military. This year, the Pentagon issued an alarming report to Congress on Beijing’s massive military build-up, including new missiles, upgraded bombers, and an aircraft-carrier R&D program intended to challenge American dominance in the Pacific. What the report didn’t mention is who’s paying for it. Answer: Mr. and Mrs. America.

But that is just one condition. The economic ‘well being’ we have enjoyed since the 70’s has in fact been built largely on the disposable income and the spending made possible by the rising real estate values in the nation. When those values flattened and fell due to oversupply caused by unethically let mortgages and home equity loans, the underpinning economy was revealed. And that economy was severely weakened as employment in manufacturing had been hollowed out from the time of the steel industry complaints in the 1970’s that foreign competition with low, unapproachable wages and living stds would end american production (it did) - thru the asian, and southeast asian nations economic rise and finally China’s, while all the while productivity (i.e. less workers are needed) increased dramatically.

For a nation and civilization it is NECESSARY to make things for a profit. Law of Nature. We cannot manage IT networks, and sell each other insurance, or as a nation invent financial instruments into national prosperity.

If we need a deficit right now it should be utilized to create the MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT compulsory to bring this about.

Should this mean drilling for cheaper american oil (so that inflated deficit dollars do not make energy acquired overseas more expensive)?

Should this mean Manhattan Projects for fuel cells? Solar? Hydrogen? Fusion?

Should this mean more than US Navy Ships should be made at Bath Iron Works, and Pascagoula?

Should this mean the UAW’s absurd levels of self enrichment must be ended?

Should this mean the EPA’s ability to ARROGATE TO ITSELF THE ABILITY TO MAKE LAW should be proscribed?

Should this mean the idea of international free trade should be abandoned as a principle since it has NOT benefitted us as implemented?

Should this mean the national debt should NOT be raised and we pay for all this with ABSOLUTE CUTS?

We face the challenges of Islamic terrorism, Russia’s undeniably inimical behavior, Iran’s vampire act, Kim’s pimp show, China’s well coordinated ascent which has now become an arrogant (and probably overconfident) march of what the Japanese called in 1942, “senshoubyou”, but we have to swim in this ocean of enmity with the 50 lb and growing weight of debt and stupid national behaviors.

One thing is certain, if we do not solve the economic questions, resisting jihad will be impossible as it will dissolve as a cause in the face of more immediate money issues which will be VERY PERSONALLY FELT. Resisting the growing influence of other nations and systems as they encroach on our ability to solve these economic issues will become more and more impossible.