Shabi writes: "Mitt Romney isn't on an ordinary world tour. He's on an insult-the-world tour, during which he's constantly trying to outdo his previous personal best."
Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney at an event in Jerusalem, 07/29/12. (photo: Alex Kolomoisky/AFP/GettyImages)
Mitt Romney's Insult-The-World Tour
31 July 12
In his enthusiasm to attract Jewish donors, Romney fails to acknowledge Israel's iron grip on Palestinian economic hopes.
itt Romney isn't on an ordinary world tour. He's on an insult-the-world tour, during which he's constantly trying to outdo his previous personal best. How else to explain the Republican presidential candidate's horribly offensive comments about Palestinians during his recent trip to Jerusalem, so soon after the clunking insults levelled at his British hosts in London last week?
Over a £16,000-a-plate campaign fundraiser breakfast with Jewish donors in Jerusalem, Romney aired his deep thoughts on "the dramatic, stark difference in economic vitality" between the Palestinian and Israeli economies. These thoughts were obtained by reading books, he prefixed, before surmising that Israeli accomplishments were down to "at least culture and a few other things" – oh, and also, "the hand of providence". So Romney thinks that Palestinians are screwed because Israelis have a better culture and a better god. It's a shame he didn't add something about bad karma and the Palestinians not doing their positive affirmations properly.
The presidential hopeful doubtless believes this standard-issue, superiority-complex racism – and that it's what his donors want to hear. Romney was, after all, only in Jerusalem to assure rightwing Israelis that he is an even bigger fan of their peace-quashing ways than President Obama. Sitting next to the Republican candidate at that Israeli hotel breakfast was American casino-billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who bankrolled Romney's visit and has indicated his readiness to part with $100m (£63.5m) for the Romney campaign. Adelson thinks that the Palestinians are an "invented people", supports Israeli hard-right prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and vigorously opposes a two-state solution, so we can presume that Romney's remarks were designed to help him reach for his wallet.
Or perhaps, when the Republican visitor noted that Palestinians were stumped by "a few other things" he was just using internationally recognised shorthand? Maybe he meant "things" like Israel's 45-year occupation, which has kept a chokehold on Palestinians, while at the same time creating a captive market for Israeli products, boosting the occupier's economy. Maybe he's parsing for "things" like the checkpoints, barriers and roadblocks that thwart movement of Palestinians and products – and thereby railroad any attempts to revive an economy. And he couldn't possibly have referenced "things" without it also alluding to America's generous aid package to Israel, the largest annual recipient of US financial assistance and whose military aid was upped just prior to Romney's visit.
Romney must know all of this, because it's practically impossible to avoid. He could have just glanced out of that Jerusalem hotel window and seen the Israeli separation wall, which has helped to stifle the Palestinian economy – and Palestinian cultural life with it. He could skim through a just-issued World Bank report, which puts the blame for the crawling Palestinian economy firmly at Israel's feet. The report notes that "the removal of Israeli restrictions on access to markets and to natural resources continues to be a prerequisite for the expansion of the Palestinian private sector." The bank concludes that, while there are other factors (these not including god or culture), "Israeli restrictions remain the biggest impediment to investing".
In addition to those books, Romney could read any number of reports about Gaza, including from the IMF and the World Bank, which state that its crippled economy is down to Israel's five-year blockade.
Palestinians have, quite naturally, responded with outrage at Romney's remarks. "The statement reflects a clear racist spirit," said Palestinian labour minister Ahmed Majdalani. "If Romney came here to rally Israeli and Jewish support in the US election, he can do that without insulting the Palestinian people."
Some Israelis noted that Romney's comments weren't exactly complementary to them either. "You can understand this remark in several ways," political scientist Abraham Diskin told the Associated Press. "You can say it's anti-Semitic. 'Jews and money.'"
But beyond these necessary rebuttals, there are really only two sensible reactions to this offence-prone presidential contender. One is to set up a sweepstake on the rate of insults generated by Romney while overseas. And the other is to pray to providence that he doesn't come to a country near you.
|
THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community. |
 16 June 2013
|
 16 June 2013
|
 17 June 2013
|
 16 June 2013
|
 16 June 2013
|
 19 June 2013
|
 18 June 2013
|
 18 June 2013
|
 16 June 2013
|
Comments
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.
Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.
- The RSN Team
if every one of us who responds to rsn posting were to give $5 to the obama campaign, those elephants would sit up and take notice...and by the way, those repubs are a real insult to elephoants..
Mitt Romney, not ready for prime time.
It must be hell for you to live in your deep, dark cavern of self-fabricated fear. Bush & Co amassed the Decade of Disaster and not a whimper from you. Obama's trying to clean up after their sewage tsunami and you Republican long knives wait in the dark to stab any progress — or any hope of any progress — in the heart. YOU are the greatest threat to America. YOU are the greatest threat to democracy.
Meanwhile, the rest of live in this universe.
Obama is a centrist Democrat, and overall has not done anything that any other president has not done. Romney, if elected, will hew more closely to his corporate backers, and is more smoke than substance, but he will also likely govern pretty much towards the center-right if elected - he really has very little choice. I rather doubt that either one of them harbors any desire to "declare himself an Emperor", and if they did, they have no real power backing to do so.
Take off the tin-foil hat and turn off the radio or TV, and spend some time learning the truth rather than the blather that you're spouting from Fox News. The world is just a wee bit more nuanced than you think.
Read the literature on cognitive dissonance and authoritarianis m and you begin to realize that there isn't anything that you can do to deal with people like Eagle. The only thing is to teach them to question while they are young before they are beaten into submission. And right wing religionists of ALL stripes will fight you tooth and nail because every fundamentalist religion from orthodox catholicism to fundamentalist protestanism to orthodox Judaism to the fundamentalist Hindus and Moslems absolutely depend for their very existence on the authoritarian mindset among their adherents. When believers start asking questions, then dogmatic organizations fall apart.
And today I just saw something where the Republicans voted against a bill for small business.
Rham Emanuel is "appointing Louis Ferakhan (sic) to control the streets of Chicago" -- source and evidence please
"Seems the Chicago Police are not allowed to go after criminals because it might hurt Obama's chances of re-election -- source and evidence please (what about those arrested even before the recent the G8 meeting?)
Unfortunately, it's not working. The article is about the racist remarks made by RMoney. You might want to respond to this subject matter. Obama and Holder are the subjects of another article
Mitt Romney, not ready for prime time." ...nor was Palin as the world quickly discovered.
From their point of view, US Dumb-ocracy is scary exercise. Imagine if you didn't have a vote.
Of course, Romney's blurtings may not cost him a single vote from among his existing supporters, few of whom care about anything outside "the greatest country in the history of humanity."
What's worse, of course, is the fact that vast numbers of working and middle class people will vote for him because of his alleged skills with respect to the economy. And, in that domain he has plenty of foreign experience - for example, shipping other people's jobs overseas and sending his own funds to tax havens in the Caymans, Bermuda, Switzerland, and so on.
What a guy!
I believe Obama has 3.x years of experience as the President. That's pretty good "foreign affairs" experience. Perhaps that is why he joys a 15 point advance over Romney in foreign affairs in most polls?
The difference between President Obama and Romney is, that the President studies up on what he doesn't know and becomes INFORMED. Romney's mouth takes off like a Whippoorwill's a** in berry picking time! He is an embarrassment to America and is UNFIT for the Presidency! Wake up, fellow citizens. Never, EVER vote ReTHUGlican!
Don't vote Republican at any level.
But do get out and VOTE, our future is at stake. Romeney and his ilk are just waiting to pounce on us and destroy any thing we still have, especially our Freedom and Livelihoods.
Vote for the Pirates!
Or Reagan, or Bush II...? The ReTHUGlicans HAVE no Candidates, or if they do, they have wisely decided to wait until the Tea Party is over before leaping into the fray!
Romney comes from a privileged background and overall tends to embody many of the worst characteristics of that background (arrogance, lack of empathy for those less fortunate, an attitude of entitlement and so forth), but to tar Mormons with the Romney brush is unfair.
The idea of putting the face of America into the hands of a man who has to walk back every pronouncement he makes presents a scary and dangerous prospect for the world view of the US.
The Democratic SuperPac(s) through constructive ads should keep the Romney foreign tour fiasco in the faces and minds of the electorate from now through election day.
So where's the outrage among Republicans now that Romney has repeatedly blasted President Obama in London, Israel and elsewhere?
Would this robot know a culture if he fell into into it?
I heard that the reason Romney won't release any more tax returns is because he didn't pay any taxes for 10 years prior. That means he probably got nice refund checks.
Yes, I've noticed that middle class Republicans are being really really quiet. As Chickens for Col. Saunders are they awaiting their demise with complete and loyal peace?
Definitely not leadership material.
Even as pathetic as he is, Romney is the *best* the GOP has at this point...
Fortunately they haven't elected him yet. But take a look at the long list of morons that they have elected, and you can see that Romney isn't any different. Repugs don't want a leader, they just want someone who will tow the line.
I think you mean "complimentary" . They are very different. Sorry.
The right wing wants to get rid of the two party system--that leaves a totalitarian regime. You do understand that, don't you?
I don't grok what the right wing misses when they see such a contrast. The rest of the world can see it. Do they just hate, hate, hate this president so much that they are entirely blind to every rational measure of him as a charismatic, widely respected leader? How do we reach them? What will it take?
To brag about tithing in the Mormon religion is similar to a tax payer bragging about how he pays his taxes every pay check. There really is no other viable choice.
Yes, Chris, it IS preposterous and an abomination -- thanks to our Supremes.
RMONEY IS AN ETCH-A-SKETCH, TWO STEPS AWAY FROM A LOONY BIN.
Is it to appeal to right-wing American Jews and their organizational support such as AIPAC; sure but that's not the main reason. Romney is still on shaky ground with many evangelicals and he desparately needs them and needs them to turn out in big numbers. And, why are they concerned about Israel? Not because they have any love of Jews that's for sure (many still consider us the "christ killer" and believe we kill christian children to drink their blood); it's because they believe that armageddon will be ushered in by a war between the Arabs and the Jews and that Israel needs to be destroyed in order to usher in the end of days and the rapture. And, that's why Romney's tough talk about going to war with Iran and all the rest is pretty frightening.
Is Willard Romney an example of a patriotic American? The evidence:
1. He is a descendent of a family that fled to Mexico rather than to submit to U.S. polygamy laws.
2. His father was born in Mexico. How could he run for president?
3. He fled to France rather than face the draft under a curious (exclusive) deal the Mormon church cut with Selective Service for Mormon "missionaries".
4. His $100 million gifts to each son probably was done overseas to avoid U.S. gift taxes.
5. He keeps tax returns secret and may have paid NO U.S. income taxes for several years.
5. He still keeps money in secret Swiss bank accounts.
6. His investments are kept in the Cayman Islands and other foreign tax havens.
7. His company (Bain Capital) sent thousands of jobs to China, India and other foreign destinations.
8. While governor of Massachusetts he outsourced jobs to Mexico.
9. As head of the Salt Lake City Olympics he outsourced jobs to Burma.
10. His 2012 Olympic participation is in a European sport, dressage (and takes U.S. tax breaks for it).
11. He praises the Israeli and Polish socialist health care systems but wants to overturn the Affordable Health Care Act in the U.S.
In 2012 we need to elect a TRUE American.
All the world knows is what Obama and Romney do and say, and past Presidents like Bush who were good friends with certain Muslims.
RSS feed for comments to this post