And today, thanks to Plan Colombia and thanks to the U.S. and many others, and thanks to you, President Obama, for your permanent support that you have always given us, today we have a very strong democracy that is producing specific results for our people and has been recognized by the world as a whole.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Santos Hold a Press Conference | The White House

This will almost certainly be the case should Silicon Valley Group be sold to the Netherland's ASML. The latter has made no secret of its desire to eliminate what is today an increasingly formidable competitor -- thanks to many tens of millions of U.S. tax dollars invested in enhancing SVG's ability to bring to market state-of-the art, high-end lithography machines used to mass-produce sophisticated microcircuitry.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Defense Fire Sale Redux

At present, Los Angeles is to varying degrees losing residents (and repelling many more) thanks to taxes and regulations (though this reviewer would say U.S. dollar policy is the biggest, yet largely unsung, factor) that tell future Ahmansons that achievement will be penalized by the political class in Sacramento.

FORBES: Howard F. Ahmanson, And the Rise of Los Angeles As a Global Economic Powerhouse

We may never know how many of the hundreds of repatriated detainees are back in action, fighting the U.S. or our allies thanks to the efforts of the Guantanamo Bay Bar.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Gitmo's guerilla lawyers