The Washington Post explained that Mitt devoted a "precious day" to foreign policy even though it won't decide the election because "Romney has yet to demonstrate to undecided voters that he (a) is ready, willing and able to represent America on the world stage and (b) has some sort of broader sense of how he would do so." Romney did not give specifics today, but he did indicate that his "broader sense" is his belief in the doctrine of American Exceptionalism. And, he has told us in the past some of his basic principles for his version of a president.
In today's speech, Romney at least hinted that the standard by which he measures Presidents' performance in foreign policy is American Exceptionalism:
This is what makes America exceptional: It is not just the character of our country—it is the record of our accomplishments. America has a proud history of strong, confident, principled global leadership—a history that has been written by patriots of both parties. That is America at its best. And it is the standard by which we measure every President, as well as anyone who wishes to be President. Unfortunately, this President’s policies have not been equal to our best examples of world leadership. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Middle East.
Romney stated more clearly his belief in American Exceptionalism in
2011:
"Let me make this very clear," Mitt Romney declared in a speech he gave at the Citadel in 2011. "As President of the United States, I will devote myself to an American Century. And I will never, ever apologize for America."
…Thus we cannot be surprised that Romney used his most important speech on foreign affairs to affirm his belief in American Exceptionalism. "I believe we are an exceptional country with a unique destiny and role in the world… .
Romney wants to "restore the kind of freedom that has always driven America’s economy. And that’s allowed us to be the
shining city on the hill," as Reagan liked to call it. In 1630, Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor Winthrop called it the "city upon a hill." The reality is racist, arrogant belief that the US alone has the special right or privilege to "bring civilization, or democracy, or liberty to the rest of the world, by violence if necessary." A few years after Winthrop uttered these words, the people of the city on a hill massacred the Pequot Indians.
It's a dangerous belief for justifying power and rationalizing death, destruction, domination and failure as well as exempting the U.S. from legal and moral standards accepted globally.
In 1945, at the end of World War II, Henry Luce, the owner of a vast chain of media enterprises—Time, Life, Fortune—declared that this would be “the American Century,” that victory in the war gave the United States the right “to exert upon the world the full impact of our influence, for such purposes as we see fit and by such means as we see fit.”
The media noticed how Romney failed to provide specifics in his
address today, but Romney's own words and actions can fill in some of those gaps.
Romney's foreign policy "resume" is filled with SNAFUs that provide some indication of how he would handle foreign and domestic policy issues.
1. Romney makes conclusions and decisions before he has the facts, showing lack of character and judgment.
President Obama nicely summarized Romney's failure as a presidential candidate when he stated that Romney "seems to have a tendency to shoot first, aim later" without regard of the consequences of his actions.
Romney's behavior with the Libya crisis demonstrated "an extraordinary lack of presidential character by using the murders of the Americans in Libya as an excuse not just to attack Mr. Obama, but to do so in a way that suggested either a dangerous ignorance of the facts or an equally dangerous willingness to twist them to his narrow partisan aims.
Heck, I google to get the facts or features before I buy a toaster, but Romney believes in acting before he has the facts. That does not bode well for any decision or opinion uttered by him.
2. Romney values money over human rights.
Romney says the Obama administration refuses to "stand up to China." Romney was too weak and devoid of values to stand up for women and girls at one factory in China.
Romney personally observed the inhumane and unsanitary living conditions of young women at a forced labor factory in China that was surrounded by a barbed wire fence and guard towers.
Instead of helping the women and girls, Romney returned home to maintain his investment in that factory. Even as a young girl, I knew that if I witnessed crimes, it should be reported to the proper authorities. Yet, Romney apparently did nothing.
3. Romney accuses President Obama of being soft on Russia, yet it was Romney who gave Russia support to oppose US policy/negotiations.
In late March, Mitt said Russia was "without question, our number 1 geopolitical foe." Colin Powell responded: "Come on think. That isn't the case." Yes, how nice it would be if Mitt would think first.
Russia responded by stating that Romney's comments "made Russia feel justified in opposing America's missile defense plans in Europe." Good to see that Romney's values include loyalty to his country.
4. Romney believes insults are the key to diplomacy with foreign countries.
Romney has insulted Israel, Palestinians, England (where tabloid press "dubbed Romney 'Mitt the Twitt,'"), and Poland, where Mitt's press secretary responded to media questions about Mitt's gaffes:
"Kiss my ass. This is a holy site," Rick Gorka barked at one reporter. "Shove it," he said to another. Gorka later called two reporters and apologized.
After
criticizing Spain, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria stated what many in America have concluded about Romney:
"What I see is ignorance of what is reality… ."
Romney is not even in office and has already insulted or alienated people and leaders around the world.
5. Romney's foreign policy plan: "Kick the ball down the field" for others to actually find a solution.
This explains why Mitt does not provide specifics. Romney's plan for the Middle East?
These problems — they’re very hard to solve. And I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes. Committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel. And these thorny issues. And I say, there’s just no way. So what you do is you move things along the best way you can, you hope for some degree of stability. But you recognize this is going to remain an unsolved problem. We live with that in China and Taiwan. We have a potentially volatile situation, but we sort of live with it. And we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately somehow, something will happen and resolve it. We don’t go to war to try and resolve it imminently.
Another part of Romney's overall plan is
dependent upon the size of a stick - the stick that Mitt will use with American Exceptionalism:
My own view is that the centerpiece of American foreign policy has to be strength. Everything I do will be calculated to increasing America’s strength. When you stand by your allies, you increase your strength. When you attack your allies, you become weaker. When you stand by your principles, you get stronger. When you have a big military that’s bigger than anyone else’s, you’re stronger. When you have a strong economy, you build American strength. For me, everything is about strength and communicating to people what is and is not acceptable. It’s speaking softly but carrying a very, very, very big stick. And this president, instead, speaks loudly and carries a tiny stick. And that’s not the right course for foreign policy.
Mitt is not fit to house sit my dog and cat. I would not even trust Mitt with the care and feeding of our outdoor birds, lizards or neighborhood feral kitty. How can anyone think him qualified for President?