Newsletter of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County—December 2015

From the ChairmanSunshine Summit an Overwhelming Success

by Michael A. Barnett

The greatest political extravaganza in Florida this year

occurred in Orlando during the Republican Party of

Florida’s Sunshine Summit. All of the presidential candi-

dates except for Governor George Pataki attended, granting

access to approximately 2,500 of Florida's most hard-core

GOP political activists. Disney’s Contemporary Resort at

Lake Buena Vista offered a gorgeous venue for the high-

profile gathering. For those who were unable to attend,

here’s some of what the rest of us experienced.

We kicked off the Summit with the Republican Party of

Florida Statesman’s Dinner, keynoted by Vice President

Dick Cheney and followed by Senator Marco Rubio.

Cheney, with his heart condition and being advanced in

years, had everyone concerned that he would not be able to

speak for long, but he stayed at the podium and gave a great

presentation. He most memorably recounted his experi-

ences on 9/11 when he first learned of the attacks. The entire

audience was gripped with fascination as he described being

hauled away by Secret Service agents and rushed into a

bunker below the White House, not knowing if an attack on

the White House was imminent.

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County had four

tables of attendees at the dinner, a very impressive showing.

[I will take a moment to commend State Chairman Ingoglia SUNSHINE SUMMIT—continued on next page

and the RPOF staff who worked overtime to ensure that our

Palm Beach County Republicans had their credentials for

access to the dinner and the Summit. Mistakes were made

by the RPOF but they were quickly corrected in a profes-

sional manner.]

Friday, the first day of the Summit, included meetings

of the State Executive Committee. Chairman Bill Paterson

hosted his Chairman’s Caucus meeting and provided break-

fast for all. We heard discussion on a proposed resolution

to support legislation strengthening anti-public corruption

laws in Florida. Afterwards Chairman Ingoglia began the

Executive Board meeting where we discussed important

items in the proposed 2016 state party budget. Then the fun

began after that meeting concluded.

Thousands of people waited in line to get through secu-

rity into the main exhibition auditorium where the candi-

dates would be speaking. Friday had the most exciting can-

didates, including Senator Ted Cruz, Governor Jeb Bush,

Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, and Dr. Ben Carson. Ted

Cruz held a rally for approximately 1,500 people offsite at

a local church, and everyone who attended sensed great

excitement in the air. Governor Bush had his own rally

Palm Beach County GOP Chair Michael A.Barnett at the Sunshine Summit.

Former GOP Chair Sid Dinerstein and hiswife Esther at the Statesman’s Dinner.

Larry and Sue Snowden and ArmandGrossman at the Statesman’s Dinner.

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 2

across from the main auditorium with about 300 people.

Former state chairman Carole Jean Jordan introduced Jeb,

who gave brief remarks and then mingled with the crowd,

taking pictures with them. Marco Rubio hosted a breakout

session of his own, but it was earlier in the morning when

most of the state executive committee members were either

just leaving their committee meetings or trying to get

through the very long security lines.

After Donald Trump spoke late in the afternoon, the

exhilarating high many of us felt became subdued when

Chairman Ingoglia announced the horrible news of what

happened a few hours earlier in Paris. I was personally

informed about the attacks even before that by Michael

Williams, WPTV’s news reporter, who just happened to be

in the hallway checking his Twitter feed and handed me his

phone. The overall mood at the Summit quickly turned from

joy to solemnity, having been reminded of the real world

threat to our nation's security. While most everyone had

their own personal favorite candidate, for the rest of the

Summit we were all united just as Republicans.

Day two wrapped up with a speech from our National

Committeeman Peter Feaman, who never fails to uplift and

encourage every crowd he speaks to. RNC cochair Sharon

Day probably gave her best speech ever, full of enthusiasm

and excitement. I probably would have gone home right

after Sharon’s rah-rah speech but instead stayed to hear

Carly Fiorina, who they saved for last.

Despite a number of snags, including the ballot rule

change controversy, having our Palm Beach County GOP

tables put at the very back at the room at the Statesman's

Dinner, the RPOF having misplacing our credentials, and

the extremely long lines getting through security, the Sum-

mit was actually a big success. All of the frontrunner can-

didates showed up, attendees got plenty of access to them

with opportunities for pictures, and we also heard from

Governor Rick Scott, LTG Carlos Lopez Cantera, CFO Jeff

Atwater, and members of Congress and the Florida Legis-

lature. Every minute was broadcast on a live feed via C-

SPAN and the whole country saw how Republicans do it in

Florida. And considering our state Party's financial condi-

tion, hopefully we earned some coin too.

SUNSHINE SUMMIT—continued from preceding page

Sen. Marco Rubio addressing the Sun-shine Summit.

Palm Beach County GOP Vice Chair TamiDonnally with husband David.

Linca Stoch, State CommitteewomanCindy Tindell, and Chair Mike Barnett.

National Committeeman Peter Feaman.

Marion Frank talking with Sen. Ted Cruz.

Gov. Jeb Bush addressing the Summit. Donald Trump addressing the Summit.

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 3

Who's a bigot? You are. And I

am. And everyone else is

too. Indeed, calling someone a

bigot or a racist has become the

go-to argument for every public

policy issue. So if everyone is a

bigot, why are these words hurled

almost exclusively from Left to

Right, and seldom in the other

direction? Because those of us on

the Right have manners and those

of them on the Left have an

agenda. And because we have

manners we don't feel comfortable gratuitously insulting

our friends (co-workers, family members) on the Left. And

because they have an agenda they insult us non-stop to fur-

ther their cause—the destruction of every value that under-

pins the incredible success of America, in particular, and

Western Civilization, in general. Consider this short essay

a primer on laying the mantle of bigotry squarely on the

slumping shoulders of the bullying Left. Here goes:

Of course we have to start with the Blacks, the all pur-

pose “straw men” for every argument over any policy, for-

eign or domestic. Here the bigotry of the Left is in full dis-

play. The Democrat Party has been anti-Black for its entire

existence. In the beginning there was Slavery, the Demo-

crats’ original version of complete dependency. The three-

fifths compromise in our Constitution meant that the

Democrats could count three people for every five Blacks,

while letting none of them vote. Who’s a bigot? One day

Republicans will refer to the Civil War in a more telling

way, not as the North versus the South but as the Republi-

cans versus the Democrats. Even after the Democrats lost

the Civil War they wouldn’t let Blacks vote. There was the

KKK, the terror wing of the Democrat Party, lynching

Whites and Blacks alike for voting or wanting to vote

(Republican). The KKK was fully represented in the United

States Senate by Senator Robert Byrd (of West Virginia)

until his death in 2010—“a voice of principle and reason,”

according to President Obama. Jim Crow laws, segregated

schools, back of the bus seating—these were pillars of the

Democrat Party tactics. But, they say, didn’t the Democrat

Party give us the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the

1960’s? Not exactly. Those Acts, proposed by Republican

President Eisenhower in 1957, failed because Democrats

such as Senators Al Gore, Sr. and John Kennedy, a presi-

dential hopeful, wouldn't (or couldn't) support them. Those

Acts were ultimately passed by a greater percentage of

Republicans than Democrats. And then the Democrats bur-

dened the Blacks with the “Great Society,” a parallel uni-

verse that kept Blacks from assimilating into the greater

populace. Their families were shredded, their aspirations

were demeaned, their education was devalued, and their

communities were bulldozed, literally. And then things

really got bad. Their babies were aborted (17 million since

Roe v. Wade), their housing was substandard, their schools

were ineffective and their Right to Bear Arms was abro-

gated. Who’s a bigot? Every Democrat. Whose job is it to

say so? Every Republican.

Let’s fast-forward to the issue of the day: Middle Eastern

Refugees. There are religious groups in the Middle East that

are caught between the Syrian government and the rebels

or between the Iraqi government and ISIS or between the

Sunnis and the Shiites. Their numbers are dwindling and

they are unwelcome everywhere. Indeed, here in the United

States they are being deported. We call them Christians.

They are pro-West, anti-Terror, literate, hard working and

in desperate need of friends. That’s why the Left hates them.

Who’s a bigot? The millions of Moslems trying to leave the

Middle East, unwilling to settle in other peaceful Muslim

countries (from Indonesia to Egypt), infiltrated by at least

a small number of Islamic Jihadist terrorists, and unlikely

and unwilling to assimilate into any western nation, are the

darlings of the Democrats. Who’s a bigot?

Get it? The only thing that allows the Left to accuse the

Right of bigotry is chutzpah—the willingness to lie with a

straight face. The only thing that stops the Right from accus-

ing the Left of bigotry is decency—a battle weapon with no

value. The next time you see poverty, misery and helpless-

ness in America, ask yourself this: Who represents these

people? Who are their City Councilmen, Mayors, County

Commissioners and Congressmen? And then ask yourself

one more time: WHO’S A BIGOT?

Sid Dinerstein was the Chairman of the Palm Beach CountyRepublican Party for ten years.

Who’s a Bigot? (Part I)

by Sid Dinersteinsiddinerstein@yahoo.com

November 30, 2015

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 4

It was thrilling to see in November’s

GOP Newsletter the report and pic-

tures of the many black leaders at

the Evening of Diamonds and Ice

Gala last month. We have many great

black members and leaders in our party

here in Palm Beach County and nation-

ally, yet they represent a very small per-

centage of blacks that vote Republican.

When you look at the facts of which party’s approach to

governing offers more hope for citizens in general and

blacks in particular, it is clearly the Republican free market

approach that creates opportunity and prosperity for all. The

Democrat’s policies are mainly centered on dependency,

and that is a dead end.

The situation of blacks under the Obama administration

has declined dramatically. Syndicated columnist Deroy Mur-

dock makes these points in National Review.

Poverty has increased under Obama. Overall, 14.3 per-cent of Americans were below the poverty line in January2009, versus 15.0 percent in 2012, according to the latestavailable data from the Census Bureau’s Current Popu-lation Survey. Similarly, the share of black Americans liv-ing in poverty expanded from 25.8 to 27.2 percent.

Deroy then says, “From there, things get bleak.” And he

points out that blacks suffered more in lower labor force

participation, household income, home ownership, numbers

below the poverty line—the only plus number was in those

receiving food stamps.

He concludes the article with advice to Republicans.

Obama has betrayed blacks as a community, failedAmericans as a people, and enfeebled the United Statesas a nation. These painful truths will be inescapablecome November 2016, even to Obama’s most devotedloyalists. Republicans should make this case to blackvoters, starting now.

Jason Riley, Manhattan Institute Fellow and author of

Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder forBlacks To Succeed, writing in the Wall Street Journal a cou-

ple of weeks ago, says that it should be possible to greatly

increase black Republican voters to over 20 percent in 2016.

And when you consider the arguments we have in our favor,

it remains for us to encourage outreach, inclusion and edu-

cation, to make it happen. We have competent volunteers

for outreach and inclusion here in our county like Jean

Dorzin and Calvin Turnquest of the Haitian Community

Caucus and the Black/African American Caucus, respec-

tively. We all need to help them educate black voters about

the facts so they can make the right choice.

Speaking of education, it is manifestly part of Democrat

strategy to “keep blacks on the liberal plantation” by

severely restricting their educational opportunities.

Start at the top in Washington D.C. where Democrats

have used every device to kill charter schools and vouchers

for blacks to get out of their terrible union-dominated

schools where they live. The Heritage Foundation produced

a DVD, Let Me Rise—The Struggle to Save School Choicein the Nation’s Capital, that looks at the educational crisis

there through the eyes of the parents and the children whose

futures hang in the balance.

Vouchers for school choice given to those trapped in

ghetto schools are a Republican effort to improve learning

opportunities for those children. That should be the

strongest argument for the disadvantaged to vote Republi-

can. They can’t get good jobs given the poor education

offered in those government schools.

I do not enjoy speaking of “blacks” this way, as we

shouldn’t have to mention the fact obvious to any honest

person that the color or shade of one’s skin is not a mean-

ingful distinction to differentiate among ourselves. Demo-

crat Party politics makes it necessary, as they have divided

voters into constituencies that they attract and keep in one

way or another. For environmental groups they support

wind and solar; for homosexuals they support gay marriage;

for Wall Street and crony capitalists they support tax breaks;

unions get special protections; blacks get welfare—after

being put in a position to need it.

All factions become dependent on the party instead of being

free, independent and responsible individuals and groups.

The Republican alternative is to allow commerce to

thrive and create jobs and to provide learning opportunities

by offering alternatives to the failing schools. It is a positive

message—let’s get it out where it counts and prove Jason

Riley right!

George Blumel is a husband, father, grandfather; retiredentrepreneur; blogger www.posterchildrenfortermlimits.com; political activist—for freedom with responsibility.

No More Liberal Plantation!

by George Blumel

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 5

On Tuesday evening, November 10, 2015, the Republi-

can Party of Palm Beach County held a debate-watch-

ing party at the Giveness Caribbean Restaurant on Federal

Highway in Delray Beach. The event was part of an exten-

sive Black outreach effort being led by PBC GOP Chairman

Mike Barnett and its goal is to increase by 5,000 the number

of blacks participating in next year’s presidential election

as registered Republicans. It’s an ambitious goal for Repub-

licans in Palm Beach County and Tuesday night’s event at

the Haitian restaurant was well attended by patrons, who

along with registered Republicans in attendance, listened

attentively to the Republican Party’s fourth presidential

debate, which was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the

Milwaukee Theatre.

The event was largely organized by Haitian Outreach

Coordinator William Joseph and was attended such Repub-

lican Party notables as Chairman Mike Barnett, Lake Park

City Councilman Mike O’Rourke, the party’s Executive

Director Ryan Hnatiuk, Secretary Cheryl Mullings, and

RPOF Regional Field Director Sean Moscynski.

Many of the Haitians at the restaurant seemed to favor

Jeb Bush in the debate, and one in particular, a former career

military man who served 21 years in the United States Coast

Guard, praised the former Governor of Florida as having

won the primary-season debate, and said he favored him in

next year’s presidential election. When he was in office,

Gov. Bush did much to help Haiti, and many Haiitians seem

to appreciate his efforts.

Judging by the following reported results, Tuesday

night’s effort was a success for the Republican Party’s ongo-

ing outreach efforts in the County. Six new applicants were

signed up for the Republican Executive Committee and two

others switched their party affiliation from Democrat to

Republican.

Obviously satisfied with the results from Tuesday night’s

debate watching party at the Giveness Caribbean Restau-

rant, Chairman Mike Barnett posted pictures on Facebook

and commented, referring to photo below, “On a hot,

humid, and rainy debate night, we still managed to get a

great crowd to turn out and this picture was taken an hour

and a half before the debate. Many more people showed up

later at the Giveness Caribbean Restaurant.”

Palm Beach County GOP Hosts Debate-Watch Party at Haitian Restaurant

in Delray Beach

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 6

On Sunday, November 8, the Republican Party of Palm

Beach County marched in the Veterans Day Parade in West

Palm Beach. An enthusiastic group of more than 30 patriots

took part in the event, which made its way up Clematis

Street amid throngs of cheering, flag-waving onlookers.

Kudos to Andrea Plescia, chair of the party’s Veterans and

Military Families Outreach, who was one of the parade

organizers.

Palm Beach County Republican Party Marches in Veterans Day Parade

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 7

News from the Republican Clubs of Palm Beach County

Republican Club of Kings Point

Our November 4th meeting featured three speakers. The first was Dr. Mark Freeman who is a candidate for Congress

in the 18th Congressional District who spoke about many hot issues such as raising the debt ceiling, the economy, unem-

ployment and social security. Dr. Freeman took many good questions and comments. Our next speaker was Sean Jackson

the Chairman of the Republican Black Caucus who gave us a great talk about issues important to his community and how

they will help elect Republican candidates. Alan Bergstein, the former N.Y.C. school principal and well-known political

commentator and activist, complimented us for our activities and suggested that when opportunities present themselves out

in the community, we should articulate Republican positions and values.

Club President Paul Tocker thanked steering committee members Ceil Stoppler, Dotty Meyer, Steve Ryder and Marcia

Fasano for their help at the door. Dotty Myer read the minutes of our September 2nd and October 7th meetings and Bill

Hartnet gave the treasurers report. Paul also recognized our officers and steering committee members Jonathan Winson,

Peter Cavenaugh, Bill Hartnett, Robert Goldberg, and Alan Klein.

We hope to see you all at our next club meeting on Wednesday, December 2nd at 7 PM., in the “Social Room” of Main

Clubhouse by the East End Café. Don’t forget everyone will have a free chance to win a $25.00 Publix gift card. We don’t

charge dues and there is no admission charge. We do accept donations.

Please remember that we now meet on the first Wednesday of each month.

Paul Tocker, President 561-235-0840

Jonathan Winson, Vice President 561-600-0416

Juno/Jupiter/Tequesta Republican Organization

The Juno/Jupiter/Tequesta Republican Organization meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the

Jupiter Branch of the PBC Library at 6:15 pm.

The following are dates of upcoming meetings thru February 2016:

December 7, January 12, February 9

Jupiter/Tequesta Republican Organization

Email: jtro.gop@gmail.com

Website: www.jtro.org

REPUBLICAN PARTY OFPALM BEACH COUNTY

December 2015 issue of the Newsletter, published monthly bythe Republican Party of Palm Beach County. The views andconclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial staff, RECBoard of Directors, or the Palm Beach County RepublicanExecutive Committee. Letters to the editor are welcomed butshould be no longer than 500 words and may be edited forlength and content. All submissions are property of their respec-tive authors and may not be reproduced without prior permis-sion of the author. Any comments, questions, or other feedbackshould be directed to tommullings@comcast.net.

Mission Statement

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County is committed topromoting Republican ideals and principles; recruiting andelecting qualified candidates for public office; developing agrassroots organization that will motivate the electorate to vote;and raising the funds necessary to complete these objectives.

www.palmbeach.gop

OfficersMichael A. Barnett, Chairman

Tami Donnally, Vice Chair

Cheryl Mullings, Secretary

Jane Pike, Treasurer

Peter Feaman, State Committeeman

Cindy Tindell, State Committeewoman

Ryan Hnatiuk, Executive Director

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 8

Republican Club of the Palm Beaches

Colonel Arthur DeRuve’s History of the American Veteran

Posted by Fred Scheibl on November 19, 2015

In the club’s annual tribute to our troops and veterans, Colonel Arthur DeRuve took us

through a history of the conflicts that have shaped America and how much the skill and sac-

rifice of our soldiers, sailors and airmen have secured our place in the world.

From the Revolutionary War onward, our first century was filled with attacks from those

who opposed our grand experiment. From Jefferson’s defeat of the Barbary Pirates, which gave

us “from the shores of Tripoli” in the Marine Hymn, to the burning of the White House by the

British in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Indian Wars (which were to some extent fanned

by foreign powers), and finally the Civil War, our young country survived and prospered.

In our second century we were defended in the Spanish American War by the “Roughriders,”

in World War I by the “doughboys,” and in World War II by the “GIs,” and we saw Reagan’s

“peace through strength” and “we win, they lose” winning the Cold War over the Soviet Union

and communism.

Now in our third century we face jihadism or Islamic fascism, or whatever you want to call it, and is some ways it is the

worst threat we have faced because it is diffuse and originates in 60 different nations, loosely coupled.

The way the Colonel laid it out, it is clear that wars are a defining part of who we are, and it is the veteran that has done

the heavy lifting. To all our veterans, a grateful world owes you a debt of thanks.

Also at the meeting, we heard patriotic songs from Dimensional Harmony from Boynton Beach High School and their

director Sterling Frederick. They will be the featured guests at our holiday luncheon on December 9.

In other business, the leadership slate of club officers was elected unanimously. Please congratulate President Fran Han-

cock, Vice President Meg Shannon, Secretary Claire Jones and Treasurer Bette Anne Starkey as they begin their two-

year terms.

News from the Republican Clubs of Palm Beach County

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 9

Reveille for Radicals, by Saul D. Alinsky. New York: Vin-

tage Books, 1989 (first published 1946). Paperback,

236 pages.

Rules for Radicals, by Saul D. Alinsky. New York: Vin-

tage Books, 1989 (first published 1971). Paperback,

197 pages.

Many if not most Republican Party voters across the

country have heard of Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules forRadicals, first published in 1971, but a previous book,

Reveille for Radicals, that the author wrote in 1946 and

revised in 1969, is much less well known.

Both books are similar and revolve around the same

theme, but are still different in their approach. In Reveillefor Radicals, Alinsky expounds on his political philosophy,

which his supporters would glowingly characterize as bril-

liant and enlightened.

The author passionately justifies his political philosophy

by calling it the purest form of “rational” political dis-

course, and makes his case for political action on the part

of his fellow Americans through his concept and plans for

community organizing. This concept will sound familiar to

many of us, of course, since our leader for the past seven

years, President Barak Obama, has proudly proclaimed in

two successful national elections that his main credentials

for the job were that he was a community organizer on the

mean inner-city streets of Chicago, Illinois. He was men-

tored by Professor Alinski and a disciple of the “revered

one’s” tactics for political action. The president, I have no

doubt, would nobly compare his mentor’s philosophy and

calls for social change to someone like Thomas Paine, who

also toiled tirelessly as a community organizer during the

American Revolution. For our president, who today would

never publically identify himself as a “radical” as does his

mentor in Reveille for Radicals, would, nevertheless, out of

range of public scrutiny, enthusiastically subscribe to the

author’s following definition of a radical as most represen-

tative of his own political views:

The radical is that unique person who actually believeswhat he says. He is that person to whom the commongood is the greatest personal value. He is that personwho genuinely and completely believes in mankind. The

radical is so completely identified with mankind that hepersonally shares the pain, the injustices, and the suffer-ings of all his fellow men.

And how does Alinsky propose that we correct all “the

injustices, and sufferings of his fellow men”? By doing

away with the very system of governance that Thomas

Paine’s community organizing helped to create and replac-

ing it with an alien, socialist, authoritarian polity that con-

centrates power at the top and dictates orders from the cen-

ter to the rest of us about how to act and what to think.

Listen to his views about the nature of power:

“Nothing can be lifted or moved except through power,”

and with that he gives a blueprint for like-minded radicals

to follow in order to gain power, or as he would call it,

“effect social change.” This blueprint for gaining power,

explained in detail in Alinsky’s later book, Rules for Radi-cals, was written during the turbulent ’60s.The people this

book seeks to instruct, by the way, along with Obama, also

includes Hillary Clinton, both of whom are secret admirers

of the professor, but would probably prefer to refer to them-

selves as “mainstreamers” on the political scene. In this ever

influencial guide for obtaining power, Alinsky goes out of

his way to glorify the very power he so covets for himself

and the faithful army of disciples he hopes to educate in the

ways of community organizing when he states:

Power is the very essence, the very dynamo of life. It isthe power of active citizen participation pulsing upward,providing a unified strength for a common purpose.Power is an essential life force always in operation,either changing the world or opposing change.

Saul Alinski’s two books, Reveille for Radicals and

Rules for Radicals, are all about power—what it is and how

to seize it. Read them and see why there is a method to the

seeming madness of President Obama’s lawless way of

doing an end run around the Constitution of the United

States of America that can be traced directly back to the

teachings of the Marxist master of radical left-wing strategy

for gaining power from Chicago, whose playbooks are still

being used to this day.

—Tom Mullings

Book Review

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 10

“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, andwhen you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Bide your time, build your capabilities.”—Warring States proverb alluding to overturning the

old hegemon and exacting revenge (2500 years ago.)

“Hide our capabilities and bide our time; be good at main-taining a low profile; and never claim leadership.”

—Deng Xiaoping (1990)

The security situation for the

United States in East Asia is

deteriorating and has been for

years. The cause is the emer-

gence of the People’s Republic

of China as a great economic

and political power with a mili-

tary rapidly increasing in capa-

bility, matched by an ever more

confident Chinese Communist

Party determined to replace

America’s decades-long reign as

the region’s great hegemon. To

be sure, China is not yet a global military superpower, and

in a conflict could not contend with the U.S. far from her

shores, like the middle of the Pacific Ocean for instance,

but that is not their aim. Not yet anyway. For now, they just

want to dominate their own neighborhood, what they refer

to as the “first” and “second” Island chain, which extends

out to about 2,000 kilometers from their shores, and they

are quickly gaining the necessary military assets that will

allow them to do just that.

The foundation under this rapidly evolving military

power that has so stunned analysts the world over has been

the astounding growth of their economy. In 1980 the Chi-

nese economy was 10 percent the size of the American

economy. By 2010, that figure had reached 75 percent.

Chinese leaders insist that the country’s expanding eco-

nomic and military might is only part of China’s “peaceful

rise” in the world which other nations have no reason to

fear, but the devil, as they say, is in the details, and in the

case of the People’s Republic, the details are in the worri-

some areas into which the Chinese Communists are direct-

ing their massive military expenditures. Most of those vast

expenditures are going toward anti-access/anti-denial capa-

bilities that, in a conflict, would prevent the U.S. from oper-

ating its naval and aerospace assets in China’s near seas. As

military analyst Robert Haddick recently pointed out in his

book, Fire on the Water, “The hypothetical battle China’s

air and naval modernization is preparing for pits China, a

continental power, against the United States and its allies,

which would be expeditionary powers attempting to project

their air and naval power against China’s positions on the

continent and in the Near Seas. The game-changing tech-

nological advance favoring China in this face-off is China’s

emerging capability to project precise and high-volume mis-

sile power into the western Pacific, a threat the U.S. Navy

has not had to worry about since the height of the Cold War

over a quarter of a century ago.”

The Obama Administration belatedly recognized this

rapidly emerging threat in China’s Littoral Seas and

launched the much ballyhooed “Pivot to Asia,” but then

have proceeded to leave the effort effectively still-born,

choosing to address the problem by merely transferring mil-

itary assets from other commands around the world to Asia,

without a simultaneous increase in defense expenditures

aimed at fielding additional military assets as well as new

technologies specifically designed to counter what the Chi-

nese are doing.

This has led to growing confusion and fear among our

allies and friends in the region who have grown accustomed

to American leadership in such matters and are now being

left high and dry by a president woefully ill-equipped to

PEACEFUL RISE—continued on next page

Peaceful Rise of the Dragon?

by Tom Mullings

Editor’s Postscript

Illustration on China's menacing moves in the Pacific by Alexan-der Hunter/The Washington Times

Republican Party of Palm Beach County 11

fully appreciate what is happening, much less do anything

about it.

There is something in Chinese history called the Assas-

sin’s Mace. It originated 2,500 years ago during the Warring

States period, and I have found no better way of explaining

what it is than the definition offered by Michael Pillsbury,

director at the Center on Chinese Strategy at the Hudson

Institute. In his words:

In ancient Chinese folklore, there is a legend of a heroconfronted by a more powerful enemy, armed with themost expensive and technologically advanced weaponsof the day. The hero overcomes the giant, because thehero has hidden in his shirt sleeve a short, lightweight,spiked club—or mace. On its own, the mace did notappear dangerous, but in the hands of the hero, it couldbe used to knock out an enemy with a single blow. Hehad been trained in its use for years and the combinationof the peculiar weapon, the element of surprise and thehero’s knowledge of his enemy’s weakest point spelleddoom for his seemingly superior adversary.

China is investing the lion’s share of defense resources

in asymmetric capabilities designed to create a twenty-first

century version of the mythical assassin’s mace to success-

fully attack the weak spots in America’s formidable military

power. There is only one way to fend off the Chinese chal-

lenge in East Asia without war, and that is to deter them

from launching their Assassin’s Mace at us in much the

same way as we did against the Soviet Union in the Cold

War. Just as we did with the Russians, we need to “outgun”

them. What that means is to stay ahead of them in the com-

petition for military technology. Unfortunately, even if we

succeed in besting them in this crucial competition, deter-

rence may still not be possible for two reasons. First of all,

there is a racist component to Chinese feelings of superior-

PEACEFUL RISE—continued from preceding page ity. This is a historical mindset that has been a part of the

Chinese psyche since ancient times. American exceptional-

ism is largely based on the belief that our system of gover-

nance, as handed down to us by our forefathers, is superior

to any other model, but the Chinese actually believe that

they themselves are better than others. These beliefs are

more akin to the way the Nazis felt about the rest of

mankind and along with the Chinese’s knowledge of

wrongs committed against their country by an imperialistic

West’s exploitation in the past form a toxic combination that

may prove impossible to overcome without conflict.

The good news is that we can stay ahead of China in

terms of military technology, even without the “factory

floor” of economic superiority that we have always enjoyed

in the past over others. While the Chinese have built their

formidable military machine with unprecedented rapidity,

they have done so largely through theft, purchase and

reverse engineering, while we have earned ours in a much

more desirable way. The closed nature of their system stifles

innovation and creativity while our much more open society

encourages it. The only thing we lack at the moment is a

leader wise enough to see what’s going on and lead us in

the proper direction. The next president of the United States,

whoever he or she might be after next year’s election, has

to be prepared to play catch-up around the world, beefing

up America’s military assets as fast as possible to meet ris-

ing threats to America’s security on several fronts, and no

region raises more alarm bells than in East Asia where a

mighty power’s rise is looking less and less peaceful and

presenting us with, quite possibly, the greatest challenge in

our nation’s history.

Tom Mullings is a decorated Army infantry combat veteranof the Vietnam War, who served as a scout dog handler withthe 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was one of the three orig-inal incorporators of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial inWashington, DC, and is a long-time Republican ExecutiveCommitteeman from precinct 5154 in Palm Beach County.

Republican Executive Committee

Membership Application

The Republican Executive Committee (also known as the REC) is the governing body of the Republican Party of Palm Beach

County. The REC elects the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Party. Members of the REC also

approve the Party’s constitution; Rules, Policies & Procedures; and budget.

Members of the Republican Executive Committee represent the registered Republicans who live in their precinct. They serve

as the Party’s liaison to the Republicans in their precinct. REC members are expected to maintain contact with the

Republicans living in your precinct and to keep them informed as to what is going on in the Republican Party. This can be

done through E-mail or other means like regular mail, phone calls ad walking your precinct. The REC is the basis for our

grassroots efforts and we rely on REC Members to organize and develop their precincts, recruit new volunteers, recruit

candidates to fill vacancies on the REC, find sign locations for Republican candidates, register new Republican voters and

work to get out the Republican vote in their precincts during elections. The role of committeeman or committeewoman is

essential to Republican Party’s and our candidates’ success in Palm Beach County.

REC Committeeman & Committeewoman Duties and Responsibilities 1. Expected to donate financially to the Republican Party of Palm Beach County 2. Attend REC Meetings 3. Organize your precinct and carry out the policies and programs of the Party within your precinct. Active participation in

the various programs of the Party is expected. 4. Serve on a Party Committee. 5. Develop a presence in the broader community by joining a Republican Club; serving on a local board or committee; or

monitoring local media for relevant material.

ALL APPLICANTS FOR THE REC MUST BE A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS REC

APPLICATION FORM AND RETURN IT ALONG WITH A PHOTO COPY OF THE FRONT OF YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION CARD. ANY

APPLICATION RECEIVED WITHOUT A COPY OF THE APPLICANT’S VOTER REGISTRATION CARD WILL NOT BE PROCESSED. THE

DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTING REC APPLICATIONS

IS 11:00 AM, 14 DAYS PRIOR TO THE REC MEETING .

Name:

Address:

City: Zip Code:

Home Phone: ( ) Cell Phone: ( )

E-mail:

Profession: Precinct #: Date of Birth: / /

I am applying for the position of: Committeeman Committeewoman

Please return your REC Application to the Republican Party of Palm Beach County Headquarters,

1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 210, West Palm Beach 33401 or fax (561) 686-1898. Phone (561) 686-1616

Paid for by the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, independent of any candidate or committee. www.pbcgop.org

Republican Executive Committee

Membership Application

Republican Party of Florida

Party Loyalty Oath

I, _______________________________, swear and/or affirm that during my term of

(Name of Member – Please write clearly)

office I will not actively, publicly, or financially support the election of any candidate seeking election

against:

(1) The Republican Party’s nominee in a partisan unitary, general, or special election that

includes a Republican nominee; or

(2) A registered Republican in a non-partisan election except that this provision does not

apply to judicial races under Chapter 105, Florida Statutes.

I further swear or affirm that, in a contested Republican primary election, I will not support the

nomination of one Republican candidate over another in my capacity as a Republican County

Executive Committee member unless the Party has voted to endorse under RPOF Rule 8. This

provision does not preclude me from supporting in any manner my personal Republican candidate of

choice in a contested Republican primary election, provided I do not express such support with public

reference to my title or office within the Republican Party of Florida.

_______________________________ ______________________________

Signature of Member Signature of Witness

_______________________________ _______________________________

County/Precinct # Date

Office: ____________________________________________________________ (State Committeeman, State Committeewoman; Precinct Committeeman, Precinct Committeewoman;

Alt. Precinct Committeeman, Alt. Precinct Committeewoman)

________________________________ ______________________________

Address, as it appears on voter registration Email

________________________________ ______________________________

City, State, Zip Phone Number

CANDIDATE OATH -

PRECINCT COMMITTEEMEN AND COMMITTEEWOMEN

OFFICE USE ONLY

OATH OF CANDIDATE (Section 99.021, Florida Statutes)

I, (PLEASE PRINT NAME AS YOU WISH IT TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT * -- NAME MAY NOT BE CHANGED AFTER THE END OF QUALIFYING)

am a candidate for the office of Precinct Committeeman Committeewoman Precinct Number ,

I am a qualified elector of County, Florida; I am qualified under the Constitution and the Laws of Florida to hold the office to which I desire to be nominated or elected; and I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida.

Candidate’s Florida Voter Registration Number (located on your voter information card):

* Please print name phonetically on the line below as you wish it to be pronounced on the audio ballot for persons with disabilities (see instructions on page 2 of this form):

STATEMENT OF PARTY (Section 99.021, Florida Statutes)

I am a member of the Party; I have not been a registered member of any other political party for 365 days before the beginning of qualifying preceding the general election for which I seek to qualify; and I have paid the assessment levied against me, if any, as a candidate for said office by the executive committee of the political party, of which I am a member.

X ( )

Signature of Candidate Telephone Number Email Address

Address

City

State ZIP Code

STATE OF FLORIDA

COUNTY OF

Sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before me this day of , 20 .

Personally Known: or

Produced Identification:

Type of Identification Produced:

Signature of Notary Public

Print, Type, or Stamp Commissioned Name of Notary Public

DS-DE 24C (Rev. 5/11) Rule 1S-2.0001, F.A.C.