I wonder why

Sometimes I wonder about things. You know things like what Bill Clinton and Barack Obama talked about when they played golf together on Martha's Vineyard one Saturday last month. Could Clinton have been plotting for a pardon for Hillary in the event her email business turns into something criminal? That's way too far-fetched you say. I don't think so. Rudy Giulianii said last Friday that he believes Hillary is guilty of breaking at least 12 laws. Two of them being destroying government records and obstruction of justice, and he went on to say that she should be investigated and charged. Rudy is the former Mayor of New York City, and before that he was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He is also a Republican and he has a visceral dislike for Hillary.

I wonder why we are cutting back on our military capabilities when China (ChiComs) and the Russians are building up their militaries and are making threats to their neighbors. Russia is almost occupying the Ukraine and Vladimir Putin is sword rattling in the Balkan countries. The ChiComs are building a huge naval base in the South China Sea making neighbors like South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines nervous. As these two countries expand their respective military capabilities, we are cutting back to pre World War II levels.

I also wonder if we'll recognize our own country when Obama leaves office, not only militarily but domestically as well, after the president has given free rein to the EPA and numerous other agencies. He's allowed the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to nearly shut down the coal industry and he's trying his best to thwart domestic oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and on public lands in the West. Here are just a few troubling statistics.

In 2008, the last year of the administration of George W. Bush, the BLM issued 6,617 new permits to drill on public lands, but in 2014 only 3,769 were issued. In 2008 the BLM granted new leases for 2,416 wells on public lands, but in 2014 a measly 1,157 new leases were issued. So, when the president brags about oil and gas production being at all time highs, it's no thanks to the Federal Government. It has done everything it can to discourage drilling on public lands. Thank the many states that have not interfered with private property owners leasing their land for exploration and production.

Lastly, I can't help but wonder why, if we really are serious about destroying ISIS, why don't we bomb the oil fields they control? ISIS gets at least a million dollars a day from selling the oil they've stolen from Iraq and Syria by charging only $30 per barrel according to ABC and USA Today. Why do we let them make that kind of money? I believe it's because we are not serious about stopping ISIS and I don't know why. They are vicious Jihadist barbarians of the worst kind cutting people's heads off, raping women and blowing up sacred shrines and Christian places of worship.

For some reason Obama seems reluctant to use overwhelming force against Islamic terrorists. If he doesn't want to bomb the oil fields, the U.S. Navy could intercept the ships carrying ISIS oil after they leave Iraqi and Syrian ports and escort the ships to the U.S. Surely even our downsized Navy is up to this task, and no one is going to challenge us. No one would dare. ISIS pumps it, we take it. A novel concept.

I've got a bunch of other things I wonder about, like when our highways are going to be fixed even if it means raising the gas tax; and why many Democrats will blindly vote for the Iran deal yet they won't vote to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, and how that outfit gets away with selling body parts from aborted babies, but I'll have to save them for another time.

Until then remember, I opine, you decide.

-- Willie Williams is a Siloam Springs resident. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.