Is Romney slighting the rest of the Mideast?

1. 75

   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   So after charming the pants off London this week with his Olympics comments, Mitt Romney is heading over to Israel.
   My question: What do you suppose the other countries in the Mideast think of this visit?
   Do they care?
   Do they wish he would visit them, too?
   Are they glad he is not stopping by even though he's in their hood?
   Other___________________________________?
   

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      Xenonlitposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Romney, despite his despicable behavior and undesirable qualities, is in a very close race with President Obama. He does not HAVE to care what anyone thinks. He has a dumb and well controlled base who is promising him a win.
      
      He will avoid doing so many things in Israel and Poland that he will destroy any doubt that he is incompetent to be president, yet he has enough of the votes to win.
      
      When he insults and ignores the rest of the Mideast, he will be doing so to  send a message to the American right wing. He does not care what the rest of the world thinks.

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2. 78

   Greekgeekposted 12 years ago

   Xenolit: this. Especially your last.
   
   The neocon think tank that Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, and most of the Bush admin were part of, the Project for a New American Century, made war in the mideast on two fronts -- including Iraq -- a cornerstone of their plan for America as far back as the Clinton administration. PNAC also made Support of Israel a litmus test for their support of Republican candidates. Any candidate who doesn't embrace support of Israel no matter what as a fundamental and central part of foreign policy will get undermined by neocon leadership.
   
   Romney has had trouble winning neocons' unreserved support, so he's doing a major fundraiser in Israel to prove he's a team player.
   
   Since Mideast conflict is another cornerstone of their plan to "restore American hegemony" -- on the principle that juicy military and industrial contracts like the ones given Haliburton are what make the American economy strong -- they are all for Romney's visit to Israel increasing tensions among Israel's neighbors. Provocative responses by Iran, or even the Taliban, give them an excuse for invasion or for criticizing Obama for pulling troops out.
   
   As long as Romney doesn't ruffle any feathers in Israel, and only causes hostility and ups the retaliation threat from Israel's enemies, it's all good, as far as they're concerned.
   
   And I say this as someone sympathetic to Israel's precarious position, and as someone whose grandfather was a Jew who was torn about moving there where the state of Israel was founded. (He chose not to. He thought a secular state was not the restoration of the Kingdom of God that the prophets meant, and he foresaw that the various peoples who had settled Israel in the 2000 years since the Jews were driven out had just as much a right to live there -- probably more -- as he did.) I don't want to see Israel attacked -- it was a bad idea to found it, but a couple of generations of Israelis living there now have the right to stay there, just as we have a right to stay in America even though our ancestors took the land from the natives. However, I don't think Israel is always in the right, or that we have to stand by and support it 100% without considering its neighbors' opinions and needs at all.
   
   The Neocons' almost fanatic, and possibly religiously-motivated, support for Israel at all costs scares me. They don't seem to realize the Crusades were a bad idea.
   
   And neither, apparently, does Romney.

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      Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      they are all for Romney's visit to Israel increasing tensions among Israel's neighbors.
      
      Exactly right, and he's definitely upping the anti.
      
      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/2 … lp00000008

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3. 75

   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   You both said exactly what I was thinking. But you said it more eloquently than I ever could.
   Basically, we're about to go right back to Bushland.
   As if the last four years never even happened.
   

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4. 73

   Shanna11posted 12 years ago

   I would like to ask you to stop haranguing my future father in law. It's not good form and I won't invite you to the wedding when I marry one of his sons. And the goody bags are going to be brand new and very expensive foreign cars. We're also going to get as close to drunk on root beer as we can and sing horribly offensive songs in front of the White House late into the night. It'll be a party you won't want to miss.

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   1. 75

      Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Congratulations, Shanna!
      Have you picked out which one of his sons you're going to marry?
      Have you picked out what color Cadillacs (yes, plural) you want as a wedding gift?

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      1. 73

         Shanna11posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I haven't picked out a son yet (that's probably important, but it can wait for now)- I've been too busy picking out the small country I want my future husband to buy for me.
         
         As for the Cadillacs, I was thinking a whole rainbow fleet. It would look so attractive in the driveway of my summer mansion, don't you think?

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         1. 75

            Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Oh yes!  You should have a different color car for each day of the week, at least!
            The rainbow effect will look fetching.
            In the driveway...
            In the garage elevators...

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5. 60

   JC the Nomadposted 12 years ago

   I understand that Romney is on tour around the world to prove he can have good relations with foreign leaders, but I can't recall another time when a presidential nominee actually took his campaign out of the US. Hopefully he spared Europe the attack ads.

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6. 0

   SassySue1963posted 12 years ago

   Where would you like him to visit? Perhaps Syria? Iran? I guess Saudi Arabia is still kind of safe. The MidEast is in turmoil. For all the talk around here about how Obama has "changed the view of America" guess what? They still hate us just like they always have. Only now, Israel isn't too crazy about us either, so I guess you're right, Obama did change the view of America.  Everyone is jumping on Romney about his remarks in England. Did you actually read them? Did any of the Brits? I'd venture to say "no" to both, they just read headlines and excerpts designed to make them look worse than they are. He never said they couldn't handle the Olympics. He said about a threatened strike and security claiming it was understaffed and how he was "concerned" a bit about those things. Could he have worded it better than he did? Yep. But now you have Israel, a long time ally of the US. That Obama has snubbed completely. But that's alright somehow. I don't like double standards at all and there are way too many of them coming out of the Obama camp.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, but he also let on what the head of MI6 told him.
      
      And, the US is not snubbing Israel at all...
      
      Of course, whenever he signs something supporting them it's seen as politics...nothing Romney does is about politics right?

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7. 0

   SassySue1963posted 12 years ago

   President Obama has not paid one visit to Israel since elected. Nor did he visit them when campaigning. But he's gone to other countries in the Mid-East before it became a hot bed of violence. I have to assume you are speaking of standing with Israel when the Palestinian leaders made a play with the UN to be declared a state. It is the only time he has supported Israel.  Obama “has visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iraq. He even offered to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Yet in three years, he has not found it in his interest to visit Israel, our ally, our friend"

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      Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      No, he just signed a security bill for Israel.

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8. 0

   SassySue1963posted 12 years ago

   An act solely initiated in Congress, and solely passed by Congress, signed publicly simply for political reasons. It only marginally changes our current agreement with Israel. Pretty much everything in it was already in place. A sheer political move, period. He signs dozens upon dozens of measures from Congress each day, but this one got a show.
   Is Romney's trip a political move? Yes it is.
   The difference? Obama has ignored Israel for his entire term and during his campaign. Romney, we don't really know what will happen if he's elected, but there is no history to suggest he will snub them like the current Administration has already done.

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      Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The US Government has not ignored Israel....

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9. 60

   Hollie Thomasposted 12 years ago

   Obama has stated on many occasions that he believes Israel has the right to defend themselves. He has also initiated the sanctions against Iran. It makes sense that Obama would give priority to visiting the Middle East and not Israel. After all, Israel is an ally of the US, after the eight years of Bush fiasco, someone had to try to restore the US's dreadful reputation in the Arab regions, and pretty much around the world. Obama's done a pretty good job of that, whereas Mitt the Twit on the other hand...cringe worthy!

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      SassySue1963posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      What has Romney done that is so "cringe worthy"? Please elaborate. Because it isn't "cringe worthy" for Obama to secretly (at least he thought so at the time) say to Putin "when I'm re-elected, I'll have more freedom". That's not "cringe worthy"? What does that say exactly about our President? Oh I have to keep the people blind and happy right now, but once I'm re-elected, it doesn't matter what they want.  Of course we're loved around the world now! Our military is facing drastic cuts, on top of last years' drastic cuts, and we'll be sitting ducks for whoever wants us! It's the ONLY part of Government that this Administration has shrunk rather than expanded.

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         Hollie Thomasposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Cringe worthy- now, let me see.
         The London Olympic comment gaffe.
         Unable to remember the opposition leaders name and resorting to calling him Mr. Leader. A statesmen so called, who either has a pity full memory or is completely unprepared in the first place. If you need me to elaborate further then you obviously haven't been paying attention to the world's press. And just so you know, the world isn't just impressed with America because BA's shrinking your military- it's because the sensible people of America had the good sense to vote a clown like Bush out. But here's the thing, there is something we agree on. Romney will be great for the economy, he'll provide loads of jobs for your sons and daughters- in Iran- where they will be used as cannon fodder and those who return alive,and with all their limbs, if they're that lucky, can look forward to an even more terrifying future.

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