For the life of me, I have no idea what the Romney campaign means when they say he will have a foreign policy like Truman and Reagan. He's going to restart the Korean War (OK, I stole that from comments at TPM)? He's going to give money to Greece to fight rebels there? He's going to reform NATO? Or, is he, maybe going to pull our troops out after a single terrorist attack that kills some of them? Is he going to invade a Caribbean island that hired a bunch of foreigners to build a couple roads and hospitals?
He's not going to bomb Qaddafi's grave, is he?
What, exactly, would a Trumaneseque, or Reaganesque, foreign policy look like? Will Iran suddenly become the greatest existential threat not only to the United States, but the entire planet? Will the budget for the Department of Defense, already one half all federal outlays, increase? Will the dream of a six-hundred ship navy suddenly re-emerge from the ashes of the Cold War to whisper in the ear of defense contractors everywhere?
What about what Obama has done, and continues to do? Do you think the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dead Pakistanis, Afghans, Yemeni, and others thanks to the expanded UAV air wars in these countries think he's vascillating and weak? What about the pirates killed and captured off Somalia when they threatened the lives of Americans and a commando raid took them down?
How, precisely, does Gov. Romney think Americans have any influence in Egypt right now? While most Americans, including me, cheered with joy when Hosni Mubarak resigned, the policy of the American government was relentless, unyielding support for three decades for a regime that was corrupt, morally and financially bankrupt, and repressive. The Egyptian people understand this; they hold no animus against Americans, just our government and our attempts to dictate their country's actions through what amounts to extortion. Since the average Egyptian lives in poverty we in the US cannot even begin to understand; since a system of universal education provided a well-educated workforce, but a system of systemic corruption did not provide employment opportunities, the tinder-box of frustrated, well-educated young men and women is still sitting there; since the current government has limited ability to act against groups that are hostile to minority religious groups, including Copts and Jews, and since they've already verbally committed themselves to inclusion, what else, precisely can the government there do that Gov. Romney insists they "must" do to curry favor with a Romney Administration?
Since the Israelis have neither the interest nor energy to work on a final settlement with the Palestinians, the status quo serving them quite well for a very long time, how does Romney's stated commitment to a two-state solution mean anything different from Pres. Obama's commitment?
I guess I'm just wondering what Romney could possibly say that means something other than just dumping a bunch of words in a bowl, tossing them around, adding some dressing and a garnish, and hoping no one will notice.
He's not going to bomb Qaddafi's grave, is he?
What, exactly, would a Trumaneseque, or Reaganesque, foreign policy look like? Will Iran suddenly become the greatest existential threat not only to the United States, but the entire planet? Will the budget for the Department of Defense, already one half all federal outlays, increase? Will the dream of a six-hundred ship navy suddenly re-emerge from the ashes of the Cold War to whisper in the ear of defense contractors everywhere?
What about what Obama has done, and continues to do? Do you think the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dead Pakistanis, Afghans, Yemeni, and others thanks to the expanded UAV air wars in these countries think he's vascillating and weak? What about the pirates killed and captured off Somalia when they threatened the lives of Americans and a commando raid took them down?
How, precisely, does Gov. Romney think Americans have any influence in Egypt right now? While most Americans, including me, cheered with joy when Hosni Mubarak resigned, the policy of the American government was relentless, unyielding support for three decades for a regime that was corrupt, morally and financially bankrupt, and repressive. The Egyptian people understand this; they hold no animus against Americans, just our government and our attempts to dictate their country's actions through what amounts to extortion. Since the average Egyptian lives in poverty we in the US cannot even begin to understand; since a system of universal education provided a well-educated workforce, but a system of systemic corruption did not provide employment opportunities, the tinder-box of frustrated, well-educated young men and women is still sitting there; since the current government has limited ability to act against groups that are hostile to minority religious groups, including Copts and Jews, and since they've already verbally committed themselves to inclusion, what else, precisely can the government there do that Gov. Romney insists they "must" do to curry favor with a Romney Administration?
Since the Israelis have neither the interest nor energy to work on a final settlement with the Palestinians, the status quo serving them quite well for a very long time, how does Romney's stated commitment to a two-state solution mean anything different from Pres. Obama's commitment?
I guess I'm just wondering what Romney could possibly say that means something other than just dumping a bunch of words in a bowl, tossing them around, adding some dressing and a garnish, and hoping no one will notice.
