While you were sleeping, I was awake at 4:30 AM thinking about threats. You’re welcome.
It was 4:37 AM when I finished my third set of pull-ups and checked my phone. Three notifications. Two news alerts. One text from my former roommate asking if I was “okay.” I didn’t respond. Instead, I was busy monitoring America’s enemies watching our every move. Someone has to maintain vigilance while the rest of you sleep.
Because here’s what most Americans don’t understand: while you’re hitting the snooze button, our adversaries are not sleeping. They’re planning. They’re probing. Furthermore, they’re doing whatever it is they do in their time zones, which I assume is sinister.
Why I Watch The Enemies Watching America
I’ve spent the last fifteen years studying geopolitical threats. And by “studying,” I mean reading books with maps on the cover, watching documentaries rated above four stars, and maintaining a Google Alert for “military buildup.” Consequently, the picture that emerges is deeply troubling.
Consider the facts. Somewhere in the world right now, a nation that is not America is doing something. What are they doing? We don’t know. However, that’s precisely what makes it dangerous. The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It’s actually worse, because it means they’re hiding something.
My credentials are unconventional but valid. I dropped out of ROTC due to a knee issue that, I should note, does not prevent me from doing CrossFit. Additionally, I finished third place in a 2019 paintball tournament—out of eight participants, two of whom were children. Nevertheless, I’ve developed instincts that formal training cannot provide.
The Daily Threat Assessment Routine
Every morning, my alarm goes off at 4:15 AM. By 4:17, I’m doing kettlebell swings. By 4:30, I’m scanning international news feeds while my German Shepherd, Patton, watches from his tactical dog bed. Meanwhile, America’s enemies are watching us, and I’m watching them watch.
Critics will say I’m being paranoid. They said the same thing about every great strategic mind in history, probably. But paranoia is just pattern recognition with courage. And I see patterns everywhere.
For instance, why did my neighbor install a new satellite dish last month? Probably nothing. But possibly something. I’ve made a note. Similarly, why did the mail come twenty minutes late on Tuesday? Could be traffic. Could be something else. As I detailed in my analysis of foreign country threats, vigilance requires attention to anomalies.
What The Enemies Watching America See
Here’s what concerns me. When our adversaries look at America, what do they see? They see a nation where most people sleep until 7 AM. They see citizens who don’t own kettlebells. They see weakness.
But then they see me. Awake. Alert. Doing pull-ups in my garage while monitoring three news feeds simultaneously. And they think: maybe we should wait. Maybe America still has warriors.
I can’t prove this. Nevertheless, I believe it deeply.
The Watchers Must Be Watched
Some people ask me why I wake up so early. “Tucker,” they say, “you don’t actually work in national security. You write a column for a website.”
To which I respond: that’s exactly what someone who wasn’t taking this seriously would say. Furthermore, that’s exactly what our enemies want you to think. They want you to believe that vigilance is optional, that watching is someone else’s job, that 4:30 AM is “too early.”
It’s not too early. It’s the only time that matters. Because while you’re dreaming, I’m defending. Mentally. From my home office.
A Call To Vigilance
The world is watching America. Consequently, I’m watching the world. From my home office. With the blinds slightly open so I can also watch the street. Additionally, I’ve installed a motion-sensor camera on the bird feeder, which has captured several suspicious squirrels.
Is this what heroes look like? I don’t know. I’m not here for labels. I’m here for America.
Stay frosty, friends. Someone is always watching. And if you’re lucky, someone is watching them back.
That someone is me. You’re welcome.
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