Whenever Willard Romney has delved into foreign policy, the result has been a disaster. He insulted Great Britain, and actually called Russia our number one enemy, for starters. In his attempt to reinvent himself before election day, he gave what he called a major foreign policy speech yesterday at VMI. Were I a doctor, the diagnosis from Dr. TomCat would be Acute Foreign Policy Disorder.
Mitt Romney mounted a big foreign policy display on a flag-draped stage at the Virginia Military Institute on Monday, serving up a lot of tough-sounding sound bites and hawkish bumper stickers, some of them even bumping up somewhere close to the truth, to give the appearance that he would be stronger and more forceful on international affairs than President Obama.
He seems to consider himself, ludicrously, a leader similar to the likes of Harry Truman and George Marshall, and, at one point, he obliquely questioned Mr. Obama’s patriotism. The hope seems to be that big propaganda, said loudly and often, will drown out Mr. Obama’s respectable record in world affairs, make Americans believe Mr. Romney would be the better leader and cover up the fact that there is mostly just hot air behind his pronouncements.
Mr. Romney’s stated policies in Monday’s speech, just as they have been in the past, are either pretty much like Mr. Obama’s or, when there are hints of differences, would pull the United States in wrong and even dangerous directions. His analysis of the roots of various international crises is either naïve or deliberately misleading.
One new element is Mr. Romney’s assertion that the threats have “grown worse.” He desperately wants to undercut the edge that voters have given Mr. Obama on foreign policy, even before he ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden. But he offers no real evidence to back up that particular claim, and if it were true that the threats have been so much worse for so long, it’s odd that Mr. Romney hasn’t really talked about them before… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Ed Schultz and Col. Lawrence Wilkerson discussed Romney’s foreign policy lies and his advisors.
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Willard sure sang a different tune on Palestine when he talked to 1% cronies! He lied about Obama’s record. Do you want John Bolton and Robert Joseph (author of Bush’s WMD lies) making foreign policy decisions? Wilkerson is no bleeding heart liberal. He is a Republican. He is correct that we do not need Romney’s massive military spending increases, and he is correct about Romney’s foreign policy advisors. The notion of these people making decisions is horrifying!
Rachel Maddow reviewed Romney’s defense budget and other foreign policy weaknesses.
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Is that budget through the roof or what? I don’t understand the purpose of his lie about no discussion of terrorism in 2008. He must be lying just for practice. Hope from Obama may not be a strategy, but it is Romney’s avowed policy.
We can’t know what Lord Willard’s actual foreign policy might be, but we know that the people in his corner calling the shots are the same ones that failed to prevent 9/11, mangled the effort in Afghanistan, and started the war in Iraq under false pretenses.
Finally, there have been no screams of agony from the rabid Republican base at this new, more moderate, Romney. If they believed for a minute that he was telling the truth, and not just saying what’s needed to fool voters, they would be screaming bloody murder.
20 Responses to “Acute Foreign Policy Disorder”
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If Romney somehow manages to lie his way into the presidency, we will be in another war within a year.
I actually think it'd be part of his "On Day One" plan.
John, you're right and I also agree with Nameless.
If this empty man manages to buy the Presidency it will not only be a disaster for America , but for the world—War within a year if not sooner–
"we can’t know what Lord Willard’s actual foreign policy might be, but we know that the people in his corner calling the shots are the same ones that failed to prevent 9/11, mangled the effort in Afghanistan, and started the war in Iraq under false pretenses." from the article
Thanks. I think I stated it well.
Mitt's foreign policy experience is as a mormon missionary in France. What is his solution? Convert all the Muslims to mormonism?
On the other hand if the Mormons convert to Islam, they get polygamy back. 😉
The republican meme is that "Obama is not a real American." Republican voters buy this stupidity because the president is black and it enhances his strangeness to them. Thus, they feel good – no consciences to bother them – about hating the president.
Sheeple who can't actually think for themselves and are too lazy to think for themselves are the kind of people who would try to outlaw Critical Thinking curriculum in schools, too. Voila.
Look for an increase in the surreal level of ignorance as we draw closer to the election. Big Bird, indeed.
Big Bird was Romney's response to Jim Lehrer's question about the deficit. Firing Big Bird is his solution and the republican voters are eating that up. They actually think Romney won.
As for foreign policy (Dear God), Romney has offended every world leader in the western hemisphere!
What? You don't like Lord Willard? 😉
Yeah, what's wrong with me?
Nothing! 😀
I found it interesting that a career military man and confessed Republican castigated Romney for his military spending proposals saying he could cut $1 trillion over 10 years and still only be back to the 2007 levels
Col Lawrence Wilkerson, who admitted to being a Republican on the Ed Show, closed his comments with: "… he [John Bolton, a Bushie neocon, who Wilkerson says will situate himself in a Romney administration] would defeat all the enemies of America in the world, and believe me they are plentiful, and he'd do it with everyone else's blood. John is like Dick Cheney. Never served a day in his life and wouldn't serve any, nor would he allow, if he had any, his family members to serve …"
"He's [Romney] operating on a Cold War music sheet." Col Lawrence Wilkerson
I believe that Romney would be so influenced by the rabid neocons that he would be like a bull in a china shop and have the US involved in wars for years to come. And I believe that these wars will come to American soil, just as the terrorists brought a taste of war to US soil with the bombing of the WTC in 2001. I hope it wouldn't happen, but I fear it could.
Excellent piece TC.
Excellent Lynn, with ome small correction. Bolton is different from Cheney in that he is more extreme.
The Neo-Cons are pulling marionette Mittens' strings and are forming his foreign policy. They want another war because they aren't making enough profits this year.
Patty, they probably don't want a war. They want several.
Here is an excellent piece in the New York Times by David E Sanger which was mentioned by Rachel Maddow.l
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/us/politics/romney-remains-vague-on-foreign-policy-details.html?pagewanted=all
I had already read it. Excellent piece.
Romney flipflops on foreign policy because he has no policy, he is confused, and slightly senile. He will treat American troops like a soccer ball…kicking them into the field of the Middle East…hoping he scores.
Welcome, Elizabeth. 🙂
I think you're spot-on about the troops.
I like the soccer analogy! "…hoping he scores." Indeed. Soccer games are usually low scoring games, at least at the professional level so that's a lot of kicking for little return. . . and lots of death!