Romney's hapless Middle East solution
Yael T. AbouhalkahBeing hapless isn’t a good trait in a president. That’s the real problem with Mitt Romney’s just-unveiled remarks on the Middle East.
Another day, another piece of leaked video is showing the real Mitt Romney to American citizens.
This time, as the Mother Jones website reported early Tuesday morning, Romney is talking about how Middle East peace is practically impossible. (This follows Romney’s even more damaging remarks insulting 47 percent of Americans who don’t pay federal income taxes as government freeloaders.)
As president, he says, it would be best to avoid resolving the problem, and hope for a solution, especially between Palestinians and Israel.
“You hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize that this is going to remain an unsolved problem…and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it.”
Romney obviously has seized a kernel of truth here: The Palestinians and Israelis in general sure don’t appear eager to solve their decades-long hatred of each other and settle for peace in our time.
And saying something like that isn’t the real problem.
Instead, it appears that - as president - Romney would bring a hapless feeling to the situation, something where he wouldn’t even try to help work for a peaceful resolution.
And, yes, it could be possible. Just think what Romney would have said 25 years ago about resolving the Cold War with Russia - “Ain’t possible, can’t work on it, kick it down the field.”
Things change in the world, sometimes radically, and often quickly.
Ever heard of the Arab Spring?
Wonder what Romney would have said two years ago about the possibilities of democracies or overthrown governments in Egypt, in Libya, even in Syria?
Mark Hastert
8 months, 1 week agoRomney, however feckless he sounds, is not entirely wrong. The middle east, especially the Palestinians and Israel, is where peace plans go to die. Add to that the conflict within Islam between reactionaries and modernity and you have an intractable problem. Until all parties tire of the killing and dying all we can do is encourage them to consider other options. We can use the aid we give to the various parties as leverage but ultimately they have to decide that they love peace more than they love killing.
JR Beillenhouser
8 months, 1 week agoYou still think that the Arab Spring was about the possibility of Democracies? And you think Romney is hapless? Thanks for the laugh.
George Hunsucker
Northland
8 months, 1 week agoSo how’s that hope and change working in the Middle East YT????
Phil Cardarella
8 months, 1 week agoThe attack on our counsulate in Bengazi was a terrorist attack that used a peaceful demonstration for cover. Other than that, the demonstations across the area have cost us as casualties a few flags and a few cars.
Good? No. But, as Donald Rumsfeld once remarked, “Democracy is messy.”
Frankly, these demonstrations are the result of POLITICAL partisans using that silly video as an excuse to manipulate folks — not a lot different from when politicians in the States whipped up crowds over “flag-burning hippies” or the NRA lies about the imminent seizure of your shotgun. Local politics.
It is tempting to suggest that the Muslim world should just grow up and quit acting like three year olds on a tantrum (ignoring the fact that out of 80 million Egyptians, there were possibly 3000 actual protestors — a small part of any world). But roughly the same % of Americans would riot if our own actual dominant religion were insulted — by cancelling American Idol! Maybe more.
Meanwhile, it would be helpful if Mitt had some idea what he was doing, just in case…
Kent Mueller
8 months agoFirst of all, it should be obvious that someone set out to sabotage Romney’s campaign. Secret recordings at private events, publishing in Mother Jones, the video dripping out at a strategic time. I believe the Star and the rest of the liberal press held James O’Keefe up to scorn when he did similar things. But when this unnamed individual does this it becomes proof that Romney shouldn’t be president.
But, more to the point. Yael, you make a false accusation. You said Romney said “it would be best to avoid solving the problem”. No, Yael, he did not say that. It was abundantly clear that he was saying that it would be best not to expect a solution in the near term. That is very different than what you said. I don’t mind anti-conservatives writing anti-conservative thoughts as much as I mind an anti-conservative misleading what a Republican said.
You say he is hapless, but I say he is honest. Oh, Yael, you too said Romney was being honest. Only you think he shouldn’t be honest. Romney properly called out the Palestinians on the issue and he provided support for our ally, Israel. Something Obama hasn’t done for four years.
Yael, even you said Romney was right. Yet, you blast him in your sad and political writing.