As Republicans prepare to take charge of the U.S. House of Representatives, it is important to recognize the sea change that has recently occurred in America. Things are fundamentally different now than they were just a little while ago and are unlikely to change back in the near future, if ever.

In international relations there are three ways countries interact with each other. Some are friendly, sharing common interests and goals. Examples include the United Kingdom and United States, the vaunted "special relationship." Others have little to do with each other and get along by minding their own business. Mexico and United States aren't particularly close, but more or less get along by ignoring each other. Then there are those whose relationships are defined by fear, who get along with the others because they are afraid of them. Our relationship with China for example, is significantly based on the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). It is this fear that keeps the Chinese under control, similar to the fear that kept the Soviet monster in check.

Internally, the United States has undergone an evolution from one paradigm to the next, unfortunately. For the first couple of centuries, the people of this country were relatively on the same page with regards to most of their core principles (slavery being the obvious exception). Change began after the Second World War as divisions grew during the 60s and 70s culture revolution, but there was still a strong undercurrent of freedom, the tacit agreement to live and let live as much as possible. Today, these relationship paradigms are gone. We no longer agree on basic issues nor will the Left tolerate peaceful disagreement, but the relationship of fear has yet to take its place. Oh, there is fear, but it is one-sided. The right is afraid of the Left but the Left laughs off the right.

It is high time to rectify this situation and introduce into the American body politic a mutual-fear pact. Only concern for their own skin will ensure that the Left keeps their worst impulses in check. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative for the new Republican Congress to go all out on delivering the pain to the Democrats. Every step over the line the Left has taken over the past few years must be met with equal if not greater force. There needs to be investigations into every act by every high-ranking Democrat official, no matter how small. There needs to be subpoenas sent to every Democrat activist, politician, consultant, anyone with any finger in any Democrat pie. Just recently the Supreme Court ruled that the Democrats can access President Trump's tax returns. Okay, Congress should now subpoena Biden's, Obama's and Clinton's (both of them) tax returns, throwing in Pelosi 's for good measure.

Impeachments must be delivered for every wrongdoing, real or imagined. The pushback must be twice as hard. The goal is simple: the checks and balances that are the highlight of the U.S. Constitution and form of governance must be restored.

For that to happen, it must become crystal clear to the Left that what goes around, comes around. Recent history has shown that this type of deterrence works. Remember the filibuster? For once, Republicans played hardball and used a Democrat precedent against them, which later caused the Democrats to hesitate when it came to completely dismantling it.

Now some will claim (I'm looking at you, National Review et al.) that the people want "bipartisanship" and "getting along" and perhaps they do, perhaps they don't. It doesn't matter, because it's not what the Republic needs right now. This Republic desperately needs the scales rebalanced. As it is clear that we cannot get along with our fellow Americans on the Left as we have in the past, this new paradigm, the "fear factor," must be introduced or this country is finished as we know it. The GOP must proceed full speed ahead with impeachments, investigations, and subpoenas, whatever it takes to give the left a good taste of their own medicine.

Everybody agrees that revenge is "uncivilized" and proscribed by all the major religions of the world, which is why we should not take revenge on the Left. Never. Perish the thought. What we should do, however, is make it extremely unworthwhile for them to repeat their behavior of the past few years. This has been done in the past and proven highly effective. It's called MAD, Mutually Assured Destruction, and it works. We must establish this new system, that while not optimal, will do a decent job of keeping this country in one piece. The alternative? There is none.

Damn the torpedoes, Republicans, full speed ahead.

Image: Frank Leslie's Illustrated Magazine