Diplomat Jim Patterson on National Security and Character

National Security and Character in the Age of ISIS
Jim Patterson


During the GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee, candidate Donald
Trump, in response to a question on undocumented immigration, stated, due to
what he sees as an uncontrolled influx, unless it stops “we have no
country.”



The current debate over Syrian refugees and the growing opposition to
them due to real or imagery national security concerns has raised
fears among a majority of state governors, 31 at press time, about
ISIS agents and sympathizers entering the U.S. and making a deadly
Paris-like strike.


The president could have met with Congress and cooperatively developed an acceptable
and non-controversial plan to provide relief to the Syrians. Instead,
the president has foolishly made Donald Trump’s statement on national
identity and "countryhood" a major political problem for him, fellow Democrats, and Democratic Benghazi-plagued presidential front runner Hillary Clinton.

There is an important lesson here for Mr. Obama and others who would seek leadership status.

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Jim Patterson
Member California State Society

James Patterson

Note; Mr. Patterson, a contributor to TheHill.com, is a Life Member of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), Diplomatic and Consular Officers Reserve (DACOR), Friend of the Israeli Defense Forces (FDIF), the Bacon House Foundation, California State Society, Helen Keller International, New York State Society, Life Member Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, and Associate Member Korean War Veterans Association.