(ThyBlackMan.com) Some leadership principles are so basic, they are exercised simply from instinct. History is replete with examples of this, exercised both by friend and foe – an example of the latter demonstrated during the Vietnam War.
The U.S. had introduced a new aircraft into the conflict in 1968 that proved immensely effective in locating and destroying motor conveys using the cover of night’s darkness to traverse the Ho Chi Minh Trail (HCMT) – the enemy’s logistical supply line. The HCMT commander, Gen. Dong Si Nguyen, receiving reports from convoy survivors that the air attacks involved but a single aircraft, was skeptical, believing no one plane could cause such destruction. He informed his commanders, he would accompany the next convoy to observe for himself what was happening. When that convoy suffered a similar fate, Nguyen learned – at great risk to his own life – that the attacks were, in fact, conducted by a single aircraft – the AC130. He subsequently discovered what gave the plane its effectiveness was a combination of infrared targeting sensors and computerized rapid fire guns enabling it to lock onto the hot engines of convoy trucks it then sprayed with a blanket of gunfire. But it took Nguyen’s personal observation of this devastating weapon in action to come up with an effective solution to counter the AC-130’s nighttime operational advantage.
Leadership 101 tells us in order to solve a problem, a leader needs to fully understand it, either by educating oneself or observing it firsthand to be able to develop a counter strategy.
On March 24, we were informed by President Joe Biden, after he started a southern border fire by welcoming illegal immigrants into the country, Vice President Kamala Harris would be responsible for putting the fire out. This was the first high-profile role with which Harris has been tasked since assuming office. Critics were not pleased with her selection, calling her the “worst possible choice” due to her past history as a staunch opponent of illegal immigration enforcement. Several invitations to visit the border from bordering state officials remain unanswered by Harris. Weeks have passed, and the firefighter has yet to even visit the site of a raging fire.
The first response heard from the Harris staff after Biden’s announcement was that the main focus of her responsibilities would be to lead “diplomatic efforts to engage Mexico and the Northern Triangle to address the root causes of migration and to oversee the flow and use of US aid,” adding she will continue to be involved in the administration’s response to the border.
But even in clarifying her role, Harris has still been missing in action as far as visiting the border to obtain a firsthand appreciation for the problem. Not only that, she has failed to conduct a press conference to explain what action she is considering. With the problem growing in severity, Harris has become – as one reporter suggests – an embarrassment to the Biden administration.
Although an agreement to surge security forces to their respective borders was signed among the U.S. and three Central American countries – Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras – we have no idea if this was initiated by Harris. Undoubtedly, if so, she would have claimed credit for it. However, since Mexico especially has been critical of Biden’s illegal immigration largesse, which has created issues for these countries as well, the agreement could well have been the result of their initiative. While it was announced today Harris will visit Mexico and Guatemala to discuss the “root causes” of illegal migration, she failed to indicate if the trip will include a visit to the border as well.
Why the inaction by Kamala Harris?
Harris has really been placed in a no-win situation. This border crisis, nonexistent under President Donald Trump, evolved immediately after Biden became president and changed immigration policy. The obvious solution, therefore, would be to reinstate those policies. However, such a suggestion would be recognition by Harris that Biden’s policies were a failure – not quite endearing herself to her boss. But anything other than reinstating Trump’s policies will result in a continuing crisis, which then allows Biden to escape blame, putting it on his vice president.
Left-leaning journalist and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace reports, despite the border situation being beyond the point it can be ignored, he believes inaction by Harris is because she wants zero “fingerprints” on Biden’s migrant border “mess.” Nothing like having an active and out-of-hand national security issue creating havoc as our president and vice president play political football.
The lack of leadership we are seeing from Harris should come as no surprise. Harris is a woman who unabashedly used her sexuality years ago as a stepping stone to launch a political career. She had entered into a relationship with a powerful California political broker Willie Brown, 30 years her senior and married, before he became mayor of San Francisco. A 2003 article described Brown as “Harris’ spurned ex-lover and unsolicited political backer.”
More recently, we saw an “extraordinarily nasty” side of Harris when she interrogated U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, pressing him on sexual misconduct allegations, later deemed non-credible. Yet, she had no hesitation when selected by a real sexual predator – documented as such even by his own Secret Service agents and staff – to be Biden’s running mate. A good leader would have stood firm on principle, especially after her inquisition of Kavanaugh, by rejecting Biden’s offer. Even Willie Brown wrote an op-ed discouraging her from accepting the vice presidential spot, perhaps recognizing how hypocritical it would be for her to embrace Biden. But, sadly, her entire political life, Harris has cherished only one thing – power – and her journey to get there has been devoid of any need to exhibit leadership skills.
Principled leadership at the highest two offices in our government is mandatory for the nation’s survival. Yet, at one of the most dangerous and threatening times in our history on numerous fronts, it is nowhere to be found. This is abundantly evident as the Biden/Harris team treats the continuing illegal immigrant surge across our borders as an oil leak to be left uncapped despite the national security danger it poses.
Written by Lt. Col. James Zumwalt
