Romney's foreign policy speech today - Washington Post (blog) [ournewsa.blogspot.com]
Riz Khan - Policing the worldThe US has the most powerful military in the world and its forces are currently involved in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Many feel the only superpower in the world has an obligation to enforce and protect global peace and democracy. But critics argue US foreign policy is driven by its "military industrial complex" that promotes war - not peace. Does the US have any moral right to police the world?
In a foreign policy speech at Virginia Military Institute today, Mitt Romney will provide a comprehensive critique of President Obama's national security policy. In excerpts released by the campaign, Romney argues: “The attacks on America last month should not be seen as random acts. They are expressions of a larger struggle that is playing out across the broader Middle East â€" a region that is now in the midst of the most profound upheaval in a century. And the fault lines of this struggle can be seen clearly in Benghazi itself.â€
Romney continues, “The attack on our Consulate in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 was likely the work of the same forces that attacked our homeland on September 11th, 2001. This latest assault cannot be blamed on a reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the Administration’s attempts to convince us of that for so long. No, as the Administration has finally conceded, these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists who use violence to impose their dark ideology on others, especially women and girls; who are fighting to control much of the Middle East today; and who seek to wage perpetual war on the West.â€
In a conference call held by foreign policy advisers Richard Williamson, Alex Wong and Eliot Cohen, the campaign suggested the tactic will be to paint Romney’s policy as part of the bipartisan tradition in foreign policy running from Presidents Harry Truman to John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Williamson, who took the lead in running the call (another indication that he is now the key foreign policy voice for the campaign) rejected a reporter’s notion that Romney was moving to the center. He said this is not a Republican or Democratic foreign policy, but a tradition in which Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama are the exceptions. All those other presidents, save Carter and Obama, he argued, knew that “strength is not provocative.†Cohen echoed that view in castigating the idea of “leadership from behind.†He said that he can’t imagine Clinton subscribing to that view.
As he did in the debate, Romney intends to lay out an alternative view, although the advisers shied away from the notion that there is a “Romney doctrine.†In the speech Romney will tell voters, “It is time to change course in the Middle East.†He will lay out his position on Iran (“I will put the leaders of Iran on notice that the United States and our friends and allies will prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. I will not hesitate to impose new sanctions on Iran, and will tighten the sanctions we currently have. I will restore the permanent presence of aircraft carrier task forces in both the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf region â€" and work with Israel to increase our military assistance and coordination. For the sake of peace, we must make clear to Iran through actions â€" not just words â€" that their nuclear pursuit will not be tolerated.â€) And he will suggest a different approach on Syria: “I will work with our partners to ident ify and organize those members of the opposition who share our values and ensure they obtain the arms they need to defeat Assad’s tanks, helicopters, and fighter jets. Iran is sending arms to Assad because they know his downfall would be a strategic defeat for them. We should be working no less vigorously with our international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that defeat to Iran â€" rather than sitting on the sidelines. It is essential that we develop influence with those forces in Syria that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the Middle East.â€
As for Egypt, Romney says he will try to use American influence “including clear conditions on our aid â€" to urge the new government to represent all Egyptians, to build democratic institutions, and to maintain its peace treaty with Israel. And we must persuade our friends and allies to place similar stipulations on their aid.†And on Afghanistan he will restate his view that Obama is once again making a straw-man argument. (“President Obama would have you believe that anyone who disagrees with his decisions in Afghanistan is arguing for endless war. But the route to more war â€" and to potential attacks here at home â€" is a politically timed retreat that abandons the Afghan people to the same extremists who ravaged their country and used it to launch the attacks of 9/11. I will evaluate conditions on the ground and weigh the best advice of our military commanders. And I will affirm that my duty is not to my political prospects, but to the security of the nation.†)
The excerpts and conference call were notable in a few respects.
First, the central theme tying all of this together appears to be an indictment of Obama’s notion that we can remain safe and secure without leading in the world. In his speech Romney will argue, “I believe that if America does not lead, others will â€" others who do not share our interests and our values â€" and the world will grow darker, for our friends and for us. America’s security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years. I am running for President because I believe the leader of the free world has a duty, to our citizens, and to our friends everywhere, to use America’s great influence â€" wisely, with solemnity and without false pride, but also firmly and actively â€" to shape events in ways that secure our interests, further our values, prevent conflict, and make the world better â€" not perfect, but better.â€
That more modest goal (an imperfect but better world) seems to be an implicit distancing from the unbridled ambitions that were sometimes expressed by President George W. Bush. In his
Recommend Romney's foreign policy speech today - Washington Post (blog) TopicsQuestion by Okla State Alum: Why are liberals not calling those who attack Herman Cain on policy "racist"? They seemed to have no problem doing this to anyone that attacked Obama on policy and record. Best answer for Why are liberals not calling those who attack Herman Cain on policy "racist"?:
Answer by Astro Smurf
I suggest you worry about thing you can control and not things you make up
Answer by GOZ2FAST
They are hypocrits...pure and simple.
Answer by An honest broker
Since when have any conservatives attacked Obama on his policy versus some delusional variation of his policies?
Answer by The Blunt Ugly Truth
The GOP is racist. They would much rather have a white liberal (Romney) than a black conservative (Cain). Watch. Cain will be ahead in Iowa by 10 points, only to lose by 30.
Answer by brown9500v13
Herb is a tool.
Answer by Mark Exclamation
peter purcell below your question is your average black racist,he is calling cain an uncle tom he asks conservatives questions but he blocks all conservatives
Answer by Glass Cup
Because those that oppose Herman Cains policy do not put images of him as a monkey, or as a primitive savage with a bone through his nose, or make allusions to grits and watermelon, or have a fake avatar of a black man while asking questions like this.
Answer by Peter Purcell
As a Black Man, I attack him for being an Uncle Tom. If you call me a Racist, I will kick your punkass!
Answer by R
Publishing racist pictures of the President with a bone through his nose is not a valid argument against policy and/or record. Cain's ideology is poisonous, and it would be poisonous if he were, white, black, brown, yellow, green, fuchsia, or whatever other color appears in the spectrum. His race has absolutely nothing to do with opposition to his ideology...
Answer by Paul Grassâ„¢
Because they are racists themselves
Windows 8 Final VersionWindows 8 Final Version xskydevilx team give you their rants and first impressions on Windows 8 â— Test it out here: smarturl.it â— Twitter: smarturl.it â— Facebook: smarturl.it â— Subscribe: smarturl.it --New Comment Policy-- Starting with this post and in the future, only comments that contribute in a substantive way to the current discussion will be approved. We appreciate the excitement and support but we want the comments to be readable and informative, so please keep that in mind when you write a comment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment