Romney Signals a Taste for Perpetual War at a Devastating Price

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The idea of being dedicated to a cause is crucial to accomplishing a feat or fulfilling a goal, and many well-meaning individuals fail because of their inability to stay on task. It is important for a nation’s leader to set clear objectives that are in the country’s best interests, and to surround themselves with advisors equally committed to the nation’s welfare. Willard Romney has earned the reputation as a man who lacks conviction based on his tendency to change positions for political expediency, and it is troubling he is unpredictable, but he has remained consistent on one issue that should be disconcerting to the American people as they decide to who will lead the country for the next four years. Besides Romney’s adherence to Draconian religious dogmata, he has consistently supported sending Americans to fight and die in foreign wars; it is the one area he is intransigent. Americans should be uneasy that Romney surrounds himself with foreign policy advisors who share his love of America at war, because without a clear understanding of foreign policy coupled with neo-cons pulling his strings, if he is elected America is doomed to perpetual war at a devastating price.

It is possible Romney loves the idea of sending other Americans to war because he has never witnessed the inhumanity of killing total strangers over ideology or religion. When Romney was in college, he protested in favor of sending other young Americans to fight and die in Viet Nam while his religious deferments allowed him to luxuriate in a palace and proselytized French people into his cult. Indeed, Romney and Mrs. Willard consider Mormon evangelizing equal to fighting for America, and they are oblivious that there is a huge difference between coming home from two years of preaching and returning from war. Perhaps that is why Willard is so keen on America at war, why he makes provocative statements toward other countries, and why he enlisted Israel’s prime minister and Bush’s war cabinet as Middle East policy advisors.

Last year when President Obama fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Iraq in accordance with the agreement George W. Bush made with the Iraqi government, Romney criticized the President for an “astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq that was the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government.” Romney’s contention was that the President should force Iraqis to allow American combat troops to remain in Iraq indefinitely like Bush neo-cons wanted. Romney revealed his ignorance and failure to comprehend it was up to Iraqis to decide whether U.S. troops stayed in Iraq past the 2011 deadline, not the U.S. government. Romney’s position mirrored Bush’s warmongers beliefs, and it is no surprise he brought them into his inner circle to advise him on how to promote war through fear-mongering and misinformation.

Last year, when Romney announced his foreign policy team, it read like a who’s who of Bush neo-cons who pushed America into attacking Iraq despite the folly of a costly conflict that destabilized the region and elevated Iran’s standing in the Middle East. Romney praised the team that lied and cajoled America into pre-emptive war for no reason saying, “Their remarkable experience, wisdom, and depth of knowledge will be critical to ensuring that the 21st century is another American Century.” Translation; a team of warmongers using America’s military superiority to kill Muslims and steal their oil.

What is even more troubling was Romney’s admission during the Republican primary that he will demur to a foreign leader’s policy recommendations for war regardless the cost to America. During a debate exchange over which candidate was best prepared to defend Israel Romney said, “I’d get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, ‘Would it help if I said this? What would you like me to say and do,'” and in July he allowed Netanyahu to write a speech he delivered to campaign donors when he visited Israel during his world fundraising tour. An Israeli newspaper headline read, “In Jerusalem speech, it was Romney’s voice, but Netanyahu’s words,” and it revealed a major flaw Romney cannot escape; his Middle East policy is dictated by Israel and Bush neo-cons who have waited for a weak warmonger they can prod into attacking Iran.

Throughout the campaign, Romney demonstrated he is incapable of dealing with other countries without resorting to provocation and threats, and whether or not it is because he is used to bullying subordinates or he just loves the idea of wielding America’s military might as a form of negotiation, he is a danger to the world. In 2008, when he withdrew from the Republican primary, he borrowed a Dick Cheney fear monger line hinting war will be his foreign policy when he warned that a Democratic victory “would mean attacks on America because they will retreat, and declare defeat.” In 2004 Cheney claimed “America would get hit again if voters made the wrong choice and elected John Kerry.” Fear mongering took America into a prolonged Iraq conflict, and since Romney enlisted Bush’s war cabinet to dictate foreign policy, he has spent the past six months inciting fear of a nuclear Iran.

Romney’s idea of foreign policy is intimidation and provocation, and there are few countries he has not offended or threatened. He claims he will confront and stand up to China, labeled Russia “America’s number one geopolitical foe,” and threatened to show Iran’s Ayatollahs and Mullahs America’s resolve. His foreign policy is Bush’s “if you’re not with us, you’re with the terrorists,” and it does not invite cooperation or negotiation to solve the world’s problems. What Romney projects is as he bullied classmates, businesses, and debate moderators, he will bully foreign leaders or they will face America’s military might.

President Obama restored America’s standing in the world through mutual cooperation and diplomacy that does not include threats or ultimatums to acquiesce to his demands. Romney is used to bullying subordinates into compliance, and with military might at his disposal, he will bring the same mindset when dealing with world leaders. At the debate on Monday, Romney suggested America’s job is controlling who leads governments in countries like Egypt, Syria, and Libya as if they are subordinates that can be bullied. He has a distorted vision of a strong leader and shares George W. Bush’s ideology that might makes right, and often refers to Ronald Reagan’s strength, but Reagan knew diplomacy accomplished more than threats of war. What Americans witnessed at Monday’s debate was Romney’s ignorance of world politics that portends danger for America because he will obey Bush’s war cabinet and Israel’s prime minister who have panted for a war with Iran since the Bush era.

Every president needs foreign policy advisors with expertise to give sound counsel and advice in dealing with foreign governments, but Romney’s policies will be dictated by warmongers. He said he does not want wars, but he intends expanding the military with 100,000 troops, and proposes $2 trillion in new military spending that increases the base defense budget to $900 billion annually with no way to pay for the staggering increase. Bush’s folly in Afghanistan and Iraq has cost the American people over $4 trillion as of 2011, and it is still increasing the deficit. Besides wasting Americans’ tax dollars, Romney’s willingness to send Americans to their death shows his disregard for members of the military that he proves by failing to mention veteran’s sacrifices because to him they are expendable.

America barely survived 8 years of the last Republican warmonger, and to show his intention of returning to cowboy diplomacy, Romney enlisted Bush’s war cabinet to repeat the disasters of Iraq and Afghanistan. The only difference between Romney and Bush is that although they have the same warmongers pushing for Middle East wars, at least Bush did not bring Israel’s prime minister on board to dictate when America pre-emptively attacks Iran. If Romney is serious about new wars, the people may support him if he enlists his sons in the Army and deploys them to Tehran as the first boots on the ground, but that will never happen because they already served as proselytizers, and according to Romney, are serving America by helping elect their father as warmonger in chief.

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Rmuse

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.

Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.