The fundamental premise that most everyone recognizes is that we need bold solutions that are as big as the problem. The growing grassroots momentum, awareness and action around a Convention of States is a clear indicator of this recognition.
I believe the next step is to recognize that an Article V convention should take center stage in a "Grand Strategy," not only for the conservative movement, but for all liberty-minded individuals who want to truly begin the journey of returning power back to the people.
I learned a lot of hard lessons on the complex battlefields of the post-9/11 era that have helped me shape how I look at and approach the conundrum we find ourselves in. This may come as a surprise to some, but the conflicts that plague many of the foreign lands and places we fought in were not that much different than what we are engaged in here in the United States.
Of course, these places were much more destabilized, violent, and void of the continuity and relative peace we’ve been blessed with, but the basic human struggle for freedom is very similar everywhere.
Momentum shifts in these struggles, sometimes on a daily basis. It is extremely ambiguous, and sometimes you lose track of who your friends are and who your real enemy is. Those that can step back for a moment and take the long view, recognize and adopt what is called "Grand Strategy," and they are the side that usually has the best chance at identifying the means to achieve their endstate.
Much like many places around the world, we are in the midst of a protracted political and cultural struggle that will determine the future of this nation and likely the globe, given our stature on the world stage. Our opponents have built a juggernaut of political and cultural organizations and have worked diligently to achieve their ends over the last half century at least, thus effectively supplanting limited government with statism.
This is our reality. We didn’t get here overnight, and we are not getting out of this overnight. We must settle into what I call a "permanent insurgent mindset," much like our opponents did 50 or 60 years ago. I’ve noticed liberty-minded people struggle with this reality, partly because we just want to be left alone and partly because we somehow cling to the notion that the political process can somehow get us out of this mess.
Which brings me back to our fundamental premise, where the solution has to at least be as big as the problem.
When I started researching the arguments for and against COS, it didn’t take me long to realize that the risk was very minimal, especially given the circumstances we are in, but the upside could be huge. I instinctively realized the necessity for momentum and what we called "the intangibles" on the battlefield.
These intangibles were moments of clarity, whether during a particular kinetic engagement or a non-kinetic effort to stabilize a village. These were breakthrough moments or seismic shifts in the conflict that swayed momentum, much like people equate shifts in team sports.
This is why for me, an Article V Convention has the potential to be a seismic momentum shift back towards liberty. Of course, it has to be flanked and supported with a multi-pronged offensive and bold strategy that encompasses a very active and engaged citizenry and a very active and persistent effort at the state levels.
The citizen activists have to build their own juggernaut of political and cultural efforts and organizations to tackle the assaults that are now in every local community. The more politically centered efforts and organizations must hold the state representatives and process accountable to this protracted fight in swaying things back in the liberty column.
I chuckle a little when I hear people say hope is not a plan! I actually agree, but I can assure you that when we were loading a helicopter late at night to conduct a mission, hope was very much a critical element of our plan. It was an intangible element that helped us overcome the fear and doubt of any situation we found ourselves in.
This nation and its people need an Article V Convention of States, because it will give people hope that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth!
Rick Oehlhof is a 23-year U.S. Army Veteran where he served as an Infantry Officer with the 101st Airborne, ‘Screaming Eagles’ & as a Special Forces Officer with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). He holds a Master of Arts degree, in Strategic Security Studies, from the College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University. Rick is also currently the 1st Vice Chairman for the York County, SC GOP.
