I find that more and more lately, I have thoughts that the United States would be better off with a more isolationist attitude. I'm not saying that the ideas are right or wrong because frankly, the emotions with these thoughts are mixed. I hear our president saying that there will be real shortages of food because of the Russian Incursion of 2022. Why should this be so?

There are presently three countries that export over 20 million tons of wheat each year. Russia, Canada and the United States. Maybe if we kept more at home, we could feed more people. I understand that international trade is important, but we could more a lot of money around in our own country and import less...ergo, the wheat shortage is mitigated and people are fed.

I don't think we have a shortage of chickens, cows or pigs. I'm dang certain we don't have a shortage of corn because we have so much, we think it's OK to burn it in our gas tanks (don't get me started on the masturbatory thinking that believes it helps the environment or reduces the use of fossil fuels).

Just doing business with our neighbors to the North and South, while producing and retaining what we have can supply every need. Did I mention oil? The US, Canada and Mexico can produce WAYYYY more oil than we could ever need. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Our real issue is refining capacity: Make one national standard recipe for gasoline and we have plenty.

The natural resources of our country are amazing and abundant. How about we just use our own stuff for a while? What am I missing here?

I recall in the TV series The West Wing, a conversation between Sam and Josh, where Sam asks "Why is a life (from another country) worth less than an American life?" Josh replies, "I don't know, but it is." No, I don't think we are better or more important than any other country. But I do believe we should tend our own backyard first before fertilizing everyone else's.

OK. Fire away. I can take it.