Exclusive: Mitt Romney “jokingly” observed that “no one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate” as he once again pandered to “birthers” and their racist conspiracy theory. But TV commentators rushed to put down any suggestion that Romney is a racist. But is he, asks Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
U.S. media pundits were quick to reassure the American people that despite a tasteless “joke” referring to the racist lie that Barack Obama was born in Kenya Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is surely no racist. We were told it was just an unfortunate off-the-cuff attempt at humor. But is that true?
Romney may not be a crude racist, the sort who would dress up in white sheets and burn crosses on someone’s lawn. But America has had a long and equally grim history of country-club racists whose personal contempt toward blacks, Hispanics, Arabs and other dark-skinned people is cloaked in more genteel phrasing.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney signing a copy of his book, "No Apology." (Photo credit: mittromney.com)
The Republican presidential candidate more fits that mold. In his book, No Apology, Romney delved into academic theories about the alleged cultural inferiority of Mexicans and Palestinians. Describing his thoughts as he traveled the world, he wrote:
“I wondered how such vast differences could exist between countries that were literally next door to each other. How could Americans be so rich and Mexicans so poor? How could Israelis have created a highly developed, technology-based economy while their Palestinian neighbors had not yet even begun to move to an industrial economy?”
Romney praised the writings of Harvard professor David Landes, who in Wealth and Poverty of Nations said “culture makes all the difference.”
Romney added that “What people believe, value, strive for, and sacrifice for profoundly shape the nature of their society and affect its prosperity and security. So while America’s abundant natural resources certainly facilitated its ascent, it is America’s culture that enabled the nation to become and remain the most powerful and beneficent country in the history of humankind.”
Then, Romney cited some cultural aspects possessed by such countries that prosper contrasted with those that don’t including a strong work ethic, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, cooperation, commitment to education, faith in God, devotion to family, patriotism, honor, trust in the law, and respect for life.
“There are cultures where life is cheap, but thankfully, ours is not one of them,” Romney wrote.
Romney reprised these thoughts in a late July speech in Jerusalem to wealthy Jewish-American supporters. Again citing Landes’s book, Romney asserted that “culture makes all the difference. And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things,” an apparent reference to divine intervention on Israel’s behalf.
“As you come here and you see the G.D.P. per capita, for instance, in Israel, which is about $21,000 and compare that with the G.D.P. per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality.”
Romney misstated how big a discrepancy there was between what the average Israeli makes versus the average Palestinian. He put the difference at about 2 to 1, when it is more like 20 to 1. According to the World Bank, Israel’s per capita G.D.P. actually is $31,282, compared to a Palestinian per capita G.D.P. of around $1,600.
But Romney’s larger point was that Israel’s relative economic success, versus the Palestinians’ economic predicament, could be traced to Israel’s cultural superiority, not to the long-term Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories that has denied those inhabitants a reasonable chance to build a modern economy.
Saeb Erekat, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told The Associated Press that Romney’s comment was “a racist statement” and ignorant of the facts.
“This man doesn’t realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation,” Erekat said. “It seems to me this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people.”
Romney’s campaign denied that his remark was intended to slight the Palestinians. But there’s no doubt that when you say that one nation thrives because of its superior culture that means that another one fails because of its deficient culture. For the Palestinians, that assessment is particularly offensive since much of their poverty relates directly to the harsh conditions from decades of Israeli occupation, including barriers to outside trade.
A Pander to Birtherism
Similarly, Romney showed no regard to the racial dimensions of the “birther” controversy in which right-wingers have claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya despite the state of Hawaii releasing his birth certificates showing he was born in Hawaii, a fact verified by contemporaneous birth announcements in local newspapers.
On Friday, speaking in his native Michigan and standing alongside his wife Ann, Romney said, “Now I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born in Harper Hospital. No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.” After the “punch line,” Romney paused to take in the appreciative laughter and applause from his predominantly white audience.
Though Romney’s remark drew immediate criticism from commentators, many were just as quick to add that Romney is no racist. But it is often true that people demonstrate their racism or other bigotry through humor. Especially in more refined circles, it is considered a more acceptable way to disparage a racial or ethnic group.
A key point of No Apology is to disparage President Obama for supposedly “apologizing” for America, though Romney is short of specifics as to exactly what Obama has said that would constitute an apology, rather than just the occasional recognition that the U.S. government hasn’t always been perfect.
Yet, one of the ways the United States clearly has fallen short of its finest ideals has been in the history of white supremacy and the callousness toward the harm done to non-whites. Romney’s book and his “joke” on Friday puts him in the camp with white supremacists, a place where he has chosen to be.
By noting, accurately, that no one has asked for his birth certificate, Romney also recognized that as a white man from a prominent family his Americanism is beyond question. The same is not true for an African-American with a “foreign-sounding” name like Barack Hussein Obama.
It is ironic, however, that neither Romney nor Obama had fathers who were born in the United States. Romney’s father, George Romney, was born in Mexico where his polygamous Mormon grandfather had fled to escape American laws against a man taking multiple wives. Obama’s father was from Kenya.
Yet, the two family situations have been treated entirely differently. As Mitt Romney noted, “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate,” while many prominent white Republicans have demanded to see Obama’s birth certificate.
The baseless “birther” conspiracy theory has been perpetuated despite the fact that Obama authorized Hawaiian authorities to release even his “long-form” birth certificate when “birthers” raised questions about the “short-form” certificate that had been public for years.
Though the offensive theory about Obama’s birthplace has been repeatedly disproved, its promoters continue to use it as a way to rally working-class whites against the black “other.” Romney is even giving several prominent “birthers” speaking slots at the Republican National Convention next week. These include billionaire Donald Trump who briefly jumped to the top of Republican presidential polls when he began promoting the lie about Obama being born in Kenya.
Taking everything into account including Romney’s well-documented hostility toward undocumented Mexicans in the United States a troubling case could be made that Romney indeed is a racist, at least of the country-club variety, a sad turn for a nation that only four years ago elected its first African-American president.
To read more of Robert Parry’s writings, you can now order his last two books, Secrecy & Privilege and Neck Deep, at the discount price of only $16 for both. For details on the special offer, click here.]
Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek. His latest book, Neck Deep: The Disastrous Presidency of George W. Bush, was written with two of his sons, Sam and Nat, and can be ordered at neckdeepbook.com. His two previous books, Secrecy & Privilege: The Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq and Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & ‘Project Truth’ are also available there.
Mitt Romney was addressing a crowd in Prattville, Alabama this past March 2012 when he stated:
I understand how difficult it can be for an African-American in today’s society. In fact, I can relate to black people very well indeed. My ancestors once owned slaves, and it is in my lineage to work closely with the black community. However, just because they were freed over a century ago doesn’t mean they can now be freeloaders. They need to be told to work hard, and the incentives just aren’t there for them anymore. When I’m president I plan to work closely with the black community to bring a sense of pride and work ethic back into view for them.
WOW!!!
Mitt should have gave this speech in a black community
I think the new racism is economic.People with money view people less fortunate as second class citizens. watching the movie “The Help” I couldn’t help but notice the same kind of condescension I have observed between college grads from privileged families towards the blue collar hourly workers I have seen at places I have worked. The bias does not seem race based, it seems class based. The one percent seems to care less about your skin color than the size of your wallet and your class affiliation
Oh, because those college grads are part of the one percent….
I’m tired of people complaining about how evil they think the one percent are. It is incredibly dense, especially because most, if not all, of them give millions of dollars every year to help others. Why is it that because someone is rich they are automatically a stingy, heartless, elitist? I cannot stereotype an entire group based solely upon their income.
Also, I don’t understand the accusation of racism toward Mitt at all. First, because he has said many times that he does not agree with birther’s and their arguments; second because it was so obviously a joke. I could see the racism if Obama had never had his citizenship questioned (and it is a justified question I might add), but it has been a topic of huge popularity on both sides of the aisle.
there is nothing inherently wrong with being rich. Becoming rich by underpaying your employees, financial malfeasance, or jury rigging the entire system at the expense of the poor by hanging on to obscene tax breaks and defunding social programs for the poor, is in a word, EVIL. of these people would just see it in their hearts to pay their workers enough to at least have a chance to prosper, no one would have a problem.
In the 1960’s “Anti-racists” forced ALL and ONLY white countries to open their borders to non-white immigration. Then “Anti-racists” forced ALL and ONLY white people to “integrate” or face consequences for being “naziswhowanttokill6millionjewÂs.” Now “Anti-racists” are calculating that ALL and ONLY white children will become minorities and eventually EXTINCT. If “Anti-racists” did this to ALL and ONLY black countries, it would be called a genocide. “Anti-racist” is a codeword for anti-white
We’ve known about Mitt since 2008, and his line about Europe’s “demographic disaster”.
http://www.chris-floyd.com/articles/1428-american-psycho-an-elite-exposed-in-an-exit-speech.html
I’m glad you have cleared up the meaning of Racism. It’s racist to joke about anyone but African Americans.
That Romney is hilarious. Let’s see him arm the Palestinians with all the latest military technology and equipment, and then we sit back and see who the superior culture is.
Hey, I read your article re the sentenced dog. Looks like someone from Tel Aviv rang up their stooges at the BBC, barked a few orders and got the embarrassing article removed.
Thank god for alternative news.
Although the article mentions that George Romney (Mitt’s father), the article FAILS to mention that George Romney ran for president (in 1968) without a birth certificate from the U.S.
Ask a Birther (or Mitt Romney) about this. It should’ve been mentioned by the article.
Corrected version:
Although the article mentions that George Romney (Mitt’s father) was born in Mexico, the article fails to mention that George Romney ran for president (in 1968) without a birth certificate from the U.S.
Ask a Birther (or Mitt Romney) about this. It should’ve been mentioned by the article.
In your opinion he is a racist. You are just saying that because he is white. Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.
Asia for the Asians, Africa for the Africans, White countries for everybody.
Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.
The Netherlands and Belgium are more crowded than Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and “assimilating” with them.
Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to “assimilate,” i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.
What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?
How long would it take anyone to realize I’m not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?”
And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn’t object to this?
But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree that I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.
They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.
Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white
my god…who bought off this site to defend the socialist Obama!!!!!four well-researched books…two documentary movies and THE RECORD show Obama’s history from his ‘screwed up’ anarchist father to devastating results in four years of non-leadership.Have another delicious dog leg…
If it happens…the first control will be placed on the Press.
Well he is white so HE MUST BE RACIST DURRRR- liberal logic.
T
hese days the word racism is liberally sprinkled through our dis course.
a racist is anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint.
Blacks are racist.
Asians are racist.
Whites are racist.
Mormons are racist…ask why and the answer ‘does not compute’.
Consortiumnews is highly racist,for parading this ‘criminal’ topic to light.
One WOULD think that since Romney constantly complains that he’s driven off message that his recent ‘birther’ comment would NOT used by him. Yet he did, and it “played” well to his base – WASP’s and the mormon cult. The newest religious cabal in America. Apparently – he’s still worried about them and with good reason.
If he so wants to stay on message – why does this clown allow himself to go off message? Easy answer – he’s more interested in ‘praise’ than he’s into solutions. If he were into and believed in his “solutions” he’d be hammering home the differences and how they would vastly improve OUR situation. Is that what he does? No – he refuses to reveal his plans because he has no faith in them himself, or he doesn’t understand the details or both. Consequently, he wont say anything because he can’t explain his vision on any level, not even an emotional one
i sure hope he is racist. we need a white racist president in the white house not a mixed race mutt racist like we have now.
LOL scott your parents really shouldn’t have been brother and sister
Romney is a country-club racist.
Thank you for that.
I am a member of a forum that tracks every move of the birthers, from state ballot challenges to birther politicians to Orly Taitz’ latest escapades.
I’m not trying to spam, but I also have an aggregation website http://birtherheadlines.com that is a perfect tracker of all birther and birther-leaning politician’s activities. It contains feeds to every single anti-Obama birther blog and a lot of cool pics of Orly Taitz meeting with Reince Priebus, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingirch, Rick Perry and plenty other GOP politicos. I post reports on ballot challenges against President Obama usually before anyone else as I have friends in most states who attend these hearings and many of them are actual lawyers, lol.
Please come visit at: http://birtherheadlines.com
Romney’s robotic smile will never come off.
Of course he is a racist, no matter how he pretends that what he said was a joke. It is his unconscious, un-garded, self that spoke.
No excuses for that, just like the title of his “book”.
Bishop Romney may not think highly of Black people, but the guy formerly running for governor of MA loved them. Flip. Flop. Romney has NO CORE VALUES. Only thing driving this guy is getting himself elected. Priviledged, out-of-touch corporate slug.
Don’t demean members of the mollusk family by using “corporate” with “slug” – at least they have a real purpose in the living scheme of things, and that without causing inordinate harm to other creatures or the environment itself…
Agreed. I often want to make comparisons like that but then remember that pigs, slugs, dogs, gorillas, vultures, animals in general, etc., are beautiful, albeit filthy and disgusting.
Having lived among Mormons for 30 years they usually direct their fiercest language toward Mexicans;interestingly they find native Americans to be saint material and when ask about African Americans,hate them. The are times, once you get to know them when that robotic smile comes off their freshly scrubbed faces and the real Mo shows him or her self.
It’s shame to generalize but all I can do is tell you about my experience which is substantial.
Don’t believe me? Take a year off and live in Idaho Falls Idaho.
Romney is a racist.
Despite claims to the contrary, this election is all about racism. The republican lust for power that began 40 yrs ago with the Nixon/Atwater “Southern Strategy” is now coming home to roost.
The south, with it’s so-called emphasis on heritage was ripe for the taking. The Constitutions of ALL the seceded states contained extensive slavery laws. The KKK rose here to oppose social change and black emancipation by violence and terrorism. The newer 20th C version hates just about everybody but WASPs. Elements of Christianity have aided this abhorrent behavior, as witnessed recently in a Baptist Church in Jackson MS denied a black couple a marriage ceremony.
In other places across our nation there’s a push for voting ID’s. In ALL instances, this push for ID’s is a solution looking for a problem. There are NO reported organized efforts to create a fraudulent election with voter ID.
Pat Buchanan, christian racist, recently opined that the GOP is imperiled by the decline of the white population. This election is about the last gasp of white power that has for the last 40 years ruled rather ineptly. It has won over the population with fear (Willie Horton), lies (voter fraud) and deception (Kathleen Harris, FL) rather than with substance of ideas.
Obama’s record is far from perfect, but his Presidency was hobbled from day one by McConnell, Boehner and TeaParty obstructionists with their ridiculous accusations from birth certificates to socialism. They’ve not produced a jobs agenda – but have presented a plethora of wedge legislation all of which effect minorities. If they eat some of their own it is is considered acceptable collateral damage.
After the economic disaster of Cheney/Bush republicans have developed amnesia but no new solutions. What was old and ineffective (Cheney/Bush) is now new with Ryan/Romney.
What utter nonsense! Similar to the assertions made by Scientologists, hese are claims you cannot possibly substantiate. What exactly is the name of this sect you belong to?
Gee Doug ,
did you read it or just the the first sentence.
What’s your biggest concern, the Pat Buchanan statement, the lack of Voter ID problem, the racism in the south – where I live incidentally – or the christian BS that has infiltrated the party.
Your comments are vacuous – since I did substantiate them – and you refused to read them.
First, where are the data sets / peer-reviewed studies you’ve used to document these wildly exaggerated claims of rampant racism? Your argument relies heavily on demographic patterns that were common more than 40 years ago; the world has changed dramatically since the Nixon era, in case you haven’t noticed. In fact, many of the very areas you describe as being particularly vulnerable to the anachronistic “southern strategy” voted for Obama!
Your arguments harbor perhaps the most insidious form of LIBERAL RACISM which prohibits any and all critique of Obama (and anyone else of color) because of his race, when in fact that is the very least aspect of his administration’s policies that the vast majority of Americans are thinking about! Try instead his seamless continuation of support for the vilest of Wall Street bankers; the full authorization of the NDAA; the unconstitutional assassination of American citizens without due process! And the list goes on.
These policies have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with race, so instead of sitting back in your armchair focusing on strawmen, try countering the justified critique of a government gone amok.
Who,in America today,doesn’t have government photo ID?More irrelevant nonsense.
I live on LI,and the racist quotient is higher than in the south,it’s just hidden better.That Woodmere witch is a prime example of the hatred and racism.Oh,and the reelection after reelection of that racist pandering crook idiot Pete King,should open eyes not subject to serial liars.
Good synopsis wc — you nailed it. Romney is (not surprisingly) NOT doing anything new, he’s just (among other things) continuing to play the right-wing’s std race-card.
You are so cofused…
We better watch out this Obama fellow might become president and live in the white house.
Sad but true: White Americans always find themselves in the difficult position of having to prove a negative. Even the most banal comments (“This apple doesn’t taste good”) are often labeled as “RACIST!”, putting the accused on the spot of having to deny what is often blatantly absurd. What is the correct response? “No, you’re the one who’s racist!” or “Yeah, whatever!”
Race-baiters fail to see that pulling the race card may one day come home to haunt them, especially if the accused ever decide to say, “Enough, already! So be it!”
Ethnic minorities, irrespective of color or background, will ALWAYS perceive ANY inequality, aggressive comment, snide look, negative outcome, as race-based. The sad part is that these perceptions are often accompanied by secret longings for revenge (e.g., the Reginald Denny beating).
For far too long, US policies in education have focused on “celebrating diversity”, meaning that all people “of color” are exalted and praised in the highest terms (ostensibly to counteract the “years of humiliation” and their feelings of “low self esteem”), leaving the guilt-ridden white voter to accept his plight as the poster child of the evil doer. Any sensible person should see that this is a disaster waiting to happen, and heaven forbid what should occur if the US economy really does collapse – cities with large minority populations will simply become ungovernable and hotspots for murder. I’d hate to be a white person living anywhere near Detroit, southside Chicago, or downtown Los Angeles.
When everything is interpreted in terms of “praising our minorities” and “our diversity”, then everything is indeed racist, with all the consequences that go with such moronic policies.
How much aid in cash and military has the USA given Israel and how much to Palestine? How much has the world given each country? I have no doubt that Israelis are smart but they have had a lot of help to get to where they are.
They have stolen most of allthey have.
What a stupid title…..it is a fact that Obama does not have a birth certificate and it is a fact that he is not a US citizen. It is a fact that he spent $$ millions to hide those facts. I am surprised that MSM is supporting an illegal alien rather than expose the TRUTH!! Now, anything with this usurper is about the race, right? It is not islamophbia when they try to kill you. TRUTH is being sacrificed at the alter of political correctness.
Aren’t you embarrassed to put your ignorance on display? Why don’t you go hide under a bushel…you have no light to give to the world – at least that I can see from your inane statements.
I’d love to see how you can prove this. And while you’re at it, tell us how his and his mother’s passports were corrupted too.
“…it is a fact that Obama does not have a birth certificate and it is a fact that he is not a US citizen.”
And you, Pat, really, really, really know? Did your all knowing god tell you?
Or did you do some research and learned the facts yourself?
And how did he get the $$millions to hide those facts?
But you found out, nevertheless, without investing a penny.
Possibly you could work for the CIA. They have a use for intelligent people like you.
You are the cream of the crop when it comes to showing your absolute ignorance.
Obama is such a superman he could actually go back in time and put the birth announcement in the Hawaii newspaper.
Hallelujah. That’s the irrefutable point these morons just can’t seem to face. I guess they think the CIA goes around putting phony birth announcements in home-town newspapers just in case one of their “operatives” has a kid that might want to be president. The whole birther thing is like an IQ test…and they’re flunking it.
Unfortunately Pat,the Monsters of Zion has confused you to the real enemy of mankind,and has you pointing fingers at victims not the perpetra(i)tors of our demise.Yes,Obomba sucks,a miseducated boytoy of Zion,in over his head,and the only American worth voting for,Dr.Ron Paul,has been made irrelevant by our Zionist media.Witness the Democratic attack on him speaking at the Rep.convention,disgusting,the naked perfidy.
I’d love to see how you can prove this. It would also mean that his and his mother’s passports were falsified.
The above was posted to the wrong reply. Sorry for the misstake.
I am looking for moron brains like yours to be examined in a lab. After determining what they are made of, you will be rewarded with a chance to get rid of ignorance as long as you stay away from society for 200 billion years.
I’m surprised that you didn’t mention Mormon policy re blacks which Romney grew up with and so most likely absorbed at least some of that attitude.
You have missed the real reason for racism. Romney is a bishop in the Mormon sect. Mormons, as all members of religious sects are bigots. The belief needed for a feeling of certainty requires the acceptance of cultural values based on peer pressure. Philosophers may argue the rationality of theories. Believers make their philosophies into law.
The do this by dismissing any contrary ideas or cultural values. “Corporations are people” is a statement that only a madman would make, or someone convinced by a beliefs of his religious cultural superiority.
The same is true among the Catholics on the Supreme Court who confuse the values of a democratic society with the orthodoxy of divine authority.
George Bush, the lesser, believed that his stolen election gave him a mandate to bring his personal ideology into the laws of a democracy founded on the inalienable rights of the people.
These inalienable rights have been an anathema to every religious and political ideology based on self serving greed for power and oppression.
When Romney said “corporations ARE people, my friend”, he was changing the meaning of the phrase. He meant that people work for corporations and people get rich off of corporations, which is not at all the same thing as actually being a person. This is clever in a sociopathetic way, because most people would need five minutes for a comeback, and a few minutes just to parse the utter dishonesty of the statement. He and his camp used the same tactic against Obama by changing the meaning of his statement from “you didn’t build that infrastructure” to “you didn’t build that business”. People like Romney and his supporters dearly love a good lie if it benefits their bottom line.
Please,we are all racists,despite the protestations of the nobility,who don’t live in the third world minority neighborhoods brought to them by our politicians of both neolibconcapitalist stripes.Making minorities feed on the public excrement of welfare for generations as a voting bloc seems the height of racism,does it not?
A pox on tribal BS,bring back our jobs from overseas,stop the actual racist wars,and free our media from the Ziomonsters,and voila,America returns,better than ever.
i think it was no joke ,yesterday . he is straight up racist. he showed what some all ready new , he just confirmed that . this guy is clueles on how to be some to fill that spot in the oval office, we will let him look from the out side of the white house, because this guy is not ready to serve the american people.
Obama is complicit in the deaths of more Africans than any US President in recent history. Does that make him a racist?
http://blackagendareport.com/print/content/butchering-gaddafi-america%E2%80%99s-crime
The Butchering of Gaddafi Is America’s Crime
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
“Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appeared like ghoulish despots at a Roman Coliseum, reveling in their Libyan gladiators’ butchery.â€
Last week the whole world saw, and every decent soul recoiled, at the true face of NATO’s answer to the Arab Spring. An elderly, helpless prisoner struggled to maintain his dignity in a screaming swirl of savages, one of whom thrusts a knife [4] up his rectum. These are Europe and America’s jihadis in the flesh. In a few minutes of joyously recorded bestiality, the rabid pack undid every carefully packaged image of NATO’s “humanitarian†project in North Africa – a horror and revelation indelibly imprinted on the global consciousness by the brutes’ own cell phones.
Nearly eight months of incessant bombing by the air forces of nations that account for 70 percent of the world’s weapons spending, all culminating in the gang-bang slaughter of Moammar Gaddafi, his son Mutassim and his military chief of staff, outside Sirte. The NATO-armed bands then displayed the battered corpses for days in Misurata – the city that had earlier made good on its vow to “purge Black skin†through the massacre and dispersal of 30,000 darker residents of nearby Tawurgha – before disposing of the bodies in an unknown location.
I makes him a war criminal.
Robt.Parry wrote:
Romney added that “What people believe, value, strive for, and sacrifice for profoundly shape the nature of their society and affect its prosperity and security. So while America’s abundant natural resources certainly facilitated its ascent, it is America’s culture that enabled the nation to become and remain the most powerful and beneficent country in the history of humankind.â€
C’mon folks. Mitt Romney wrote that??? Never. Must’ve been someone else doing it for him. Or he copied it from somewhere. That’s not Romney speak.
Romney is a fraud.
Is he celebrating the culture of slaughter and theft the allowed the first illegal immigrants to simply take the continent from the Native Americans or the culture that tolerated slavery and so enjoyed free labor to create vast empires or the culture of unionism that demanded fair working hours, safe conditions and fair pay or the culture of the New Deal and the Great Society that redressed the havoc wrought by unbridled greed, provided a social safety net and demanded that the country live up to its rhetoric?
Just so I know what which party hat to wear.