Mitt Romney and War by Other Means

“When our grounds are being attacked and being breached, the first response of the United States must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation.“

The first response of the United States must be outrage.

Yes, outrage!

That’s what we need, some good old-fashioned American outrage.

Because really, we haven’t spent enough time in the last ten years paying the tab on decisions that were made in the throes of outrage, right?

Our first response should be outrage.

That was wannabe Decider-in-Chief, Mitt Romney, in response to a statement issued by the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, as Muslim extremists prepared to storm the consulate grounds.

And it’s not enough that the nation should be outraged, Mitt himself is personally outraged:

“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

Say what?

President Obama sympathized with who now?

I’ve read through the President’s public statement regarding the attack last night on American embassies in Egypt and Libya.  I’ve read through them twice.  I watched the videos. Hell, I even watched Fox News, because I figured if anybody would have tape of Obama palling around with terrorists, it would be them.

Nowhere, no Goddamned where, did I see President Obama express anything even vaguely resembling sympathy with those who waged the attacks – unless Mittens was implying that the family of US Ambassador to Libya, the late J. Christopher Stevens, and the families and friends of the other three slain State Department employees were in fact Muslim extremists who assaulted the embassies in Egypt and Libya.  See, because those were the only people President Obama expressed sympathy for.

What Obama actually said was:

“I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives. I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants. On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya’s transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss. The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.”

Today, the President pledged to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.

“We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done.”

Given Obama’s track record, justice will very likely be done indeed.

Justice is likely to fall on the attackers from the sky, delivered via drone or at the hand of US Special Forces – at which point, of course, Conservatives will have some other complaint about how Obama isn’t focused on the economy or some such thing. Also, Nazis.

Looking at this event in the cold light of a rainy Alaskan afternoon, this is what see I immediately:

Barack Obama condemned the attacks, he spoke against violence and expressed sadness for the dead and sympathy for their families and friends, he told us what he was doing to protect our people in similar situations around the globe, and he promised us justice.  About what you would expect from your President in such a situation.

Mitt Romney attacked his own government and his fellow Americans.

The President was coldly angry, but determined in his public response to prevent further bloodshed, further violence.

Mitt was outraged.

The President’s concern was for the dead, for their families, for people.

Romney’s concern was that somebody touched our stuff.

Obama responded like a president.

Romney acted like a businessman.

Do the math for yourself.

“When our grounds are being attacked and being breached, the first response of the United States must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation.”

Outrage.

As a first response.

Outrage must be our first response. Outrage at  the breach of sovereignty of our nation.

Our first response shouldn’t be measured action to ensure the safety of our people, both in the midst of the unfolding violence and elsewhere in the world – even if that means holding our tongue.  No.

Our first response shouldn’t be to ascertain ground truth before acting on impulse or making rash statements or beating our sword against our shield – or wading into yet another ill-considered military action.  No, certainly not that.

Our first response shouldn’t be to avoid putting more of our people at immediate risk by inflaming tempers and hatred elsewhere in the Middle East.

Our first response shouldn’t be a call for calm, for reason, for an end to the violence, or to make an appeal to common ideals. No, not that either.

Our first response shouldn’t be to stand together as Americans. Oh fuck no, wouldn’t want that.

No, no.

Step 1: Outrage! Outrage, by God! Outrage, because that’s what Angry Jesus would do! Outrage!

Step 2: Blame our fellow countrymen.

And then what?

Based on the recently adopted GOP platform and past performance by Republican administrations I suspect Step 3 is probably “bomb some random brown people.”  Then a year or so later realize that we killed the wrong people, but stubbornly pretend that they had it coming anyway, because, well, you know, brown people. Fuck ‘em.

This morning Mitt Romney said America should set the example:

“In the face of this violence, America cannot shrink from the responsibility to lead. American leadership is necessary to ensure that events in the region don’t spin out of control. We cannot hesitate to use our influence in the region to support those who share our values and our interests.”

How, exactly, leading with outrage as your first response keeps things from “spinning out of control” is beyond me.  But that’s far from the only thing Romney has said regarding this matter that perplexes me.  Romney was upset that the embassy had issued, apparently without authorization from the White House, the following statement:

“The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

The attacks, at least the one in Cairo, were apparently sparked by a YouTube video.  The video allegedly was uploaded by an “Israeli-American” living in California. The man is supposedly a real estate developer and filmmaker named Sam Bacile, though it seems that both the name and alleged professions are fake. The uploader may not even be in north America at all.  The film portrays an, extremely, unflattering depiction of the prophet Muhammad and Islam, and is obviously designed to inflame Muslim extremists and goad them into action against the United States.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The filmmaker has apparently gone into hiding. Why am I not surprised?

Now, here in America, that kind of assholery is permitted under the First Amendment.  In America we have the right to freedom of speech, and freedom from having to be responsible for the consequences of what we say. Somebody else will do it for you, suffer the consequences that is.  You make a film or burn somebody’s holy book and generally act like an asshole, and somebody else, a soldier or a diplomat or even just some random American who happens to be in the wrong place, why they’ll be happy to step up and take responsibility for your freedom of speech.  And you? Well you can hide behind your rights and your internet anonymity and your God and bask in your patriotism.  Good on you.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Ironic that the very people who scream loudest and demand that the “poor” and the “socialists” and the “liberals” and the “parasites” start taking responsibility for their lives are the very same florid patriots who never seem to take responsibility for their own actions, for their own words, for the consequences of their hatred and bigotry. They’ll condemn the violence inspired by the Occupy movement, but defend the violence inspired by Right To Lifers or some hateful bigot on Talk Radio.  One has to wonder if Romney and his followers would be so quick to defend freedom of speech if that YouTube video depicted Jesus gay marrying Brigham Young.

Funny how these patriots, these Great Americans, always hide behind anonymous uploads and anonymous comments on blogs like mine.

Funny how a conservative like Romney would condemn his fellow Americans under attack in the Cairo embassy for exercising their right to speak freely in an attempt to save lives and quell rising violence, but defend an anonymous bigot’s right to free speech when he posts a film that may have gotten Americans killed.

In an interview this morning Romney outlined the first step in his, as yet, mysterious foreign policy:

“First, confidence in our cause, a recognition that the principles America was based upon are [not] something we shrink from or apologize for. That we stand for that principles.”

Christ, it’s like the second coming of Word Salad Sally.

What principles are those again? What principles was Mitt Romney talking about? Up there, above, when he said, “We cannot hesitate to use our influence in the region to support those who share our values and our interests.”

Bigotry? Hatred? Attacks on other peoples’ religions?  The bile in the video that supposedly sparked this firestorm? Are those the founding principles of America Mitt was talking about?

Excuse me while I go consult my copy of the Federalist Papers.

“I think it’s a terrible course for America to stand in apology for our values.”

I’m pretty good with the English language. I score extremely high in reading comprehension.  I have a very large vocabulary.  I spent most of my life as a military Cryptologist and an Intelligence officer, I’ve had some very specific and extensive training and more than twenty years experience in ferreting out meaning from all forms of communication. I’ve read that offending statement, the one from the Cairo embassy, over and over.

I just don’t see where the embassy, or President Obama for that matter, was apologizing for anything.

The statement was issued before the attack began, while there still might be time to de-escalate the situation, while there still might be time to prevent violence and bloodshed, while there still might be time for reason and not mindless outrage to prevail.

Look at the message again:

“The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”

Go over it line by line.

First, we’re the embassy. The embassy, not the United States, not the President. The embassy you are thinking about attacking. Embassy. First line, you can’t miss it. We condemn bigots, we understand why you’re pissed off, really we do. And we don’t agree with those who would deliberately give insult to Muslims, i.e. the religion of our host nation and the region by which we are surrounded right now.  On this of all days, we Americans know only too well what the end results of bigotry and intolerance and violence are. We honor our own, those who fought the terrorists and oppressive regimes, something you Egyptians are familiar with yourselves – this is yet another thing we have in common.  Respect for religion and speech is a cornerstone of American democracy, and by implication your fledgling democracy too. We firmly reject those who would abuse such freedoms.

Even if I squint my eyes and put on my Genuine George Dubya Bush rubber mask, that statement still looks exactly like what it is: an attempt by US State Department personnel to defuse a bad situation.   To be diplomatic.  Before they were overrun.

It looks exactly like what it is, the embassy doing its job with the only tools it had, diplomacy, words, information.

You better believe that the people besieged in those embassies, the folks who issued that statement, were very, very, very well versed in previous attacks on US facilities. I know that for a fact, I’ve had similar training and for similar reasons.  And I will bet you anything you’d like that they were thinking of only one thing: Iran.  Iran and the Iranian Hostage Crisis, when revolutionary religious extremists stormed our embassy and took our people hostage and held the United States at gunpoint for more than a year.

The embassy’s job wasn’t to make the situation worse.

Their job isn’t to get America into another war.

Their job isn’t to get America mired in another diplomatic nightmare.

The first job of diplomacy is to prevent war, to avoid conflict and violence, to preserve civilization.

They’re diplomats, not Marines.

And even Jarheads know better – especially when on foreign soil in an unstable land, you better believe they know it.  Their job, and the job of the diplomats, is to prevent violence.

You’d think somebody who wants to manage US Foreign policy would understand that.

Frankly, I’d like to see Mitt Romney under siege. I’d like to see him put his millions where his mouth is.  I’d like to see him, for once, suffer the consequences of his speech. I’d like to see his policy of outrage in action when facing a crowd of crazed religious extremists – and when I say “crazed religious extremists” I’m not talking about the Church of Latter Day Saints storming across the California border en mass waving their checkbooks and hell bent on burning down gay marriage, though I suppose that works too.

Now, I’m not particularly hard pressed to guess what an officially authorized Romney Administration message to the attackers would be.

But while Come at me, Bro! makes a funny de-motivational poster, as foreign policy it’s juvenile and idiotic and counterproductive.

These people have spent their entire lives immersed in violence, in war, in death, and blood, and torture.  They just overthrew an oppressive regime that had no reticence whatsoever about killing people. Do you really think that America, Fuck Yah!  intimidates these people? Really?

They fought tanks with with sticks for fuck’s sake.

Of course, there’s nothing particularly surprising about Romney’s bluster today, given where he gets his foreign policy advice. Romney campaign foreign policy adviser Rich Williamson told Foreign Policy magazine that the attacks were related to Obama’s “failure to be an effective leader for U.S. interests in the Middle East.” Go on, tell me how that’s different from Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s similar assertion that America invited 9-11 though its foreign policy.  No really, please explain the difference to me, because I’m not seeing it.

Conservatives have a self esteem problem.

They’re terrified of apologies. They’re so damned afraid on having to admit a mistake, of having to apologize, of appearing weak or unmanly – despite the very specific admonishment of their avowed lord and savior to turn the other cheek and to act in humility – that they see apologies where none were ever given.

Sort of like how a lot of them call other people queer so nobody will suspect them of being gay themselves, but I digress.

Today is a perfect example, Mitt Romney knows that his response was wrong. He knows his attempt to make this terrible event into just another campaign sound-bite is crass and beneath anybody, anybody, who would aspire to the Oval Office. He knows it. Look at his eyes, read his words and watch him keep shifting the goal posts and tell me that he doesn’t damned well know that his comment last night was wrong.

Both conservatives and liberals alike have condemned him for it.

But he is too insecure, too immature, to afraid, to filled with self doubt and little man syndrome to admit it.

Instead, like a petulant child, he’s doubling down, feet spread, bottom lip out, arms akimbo.

And like a child, he’s outraged.

Come November, Americans have a choice.

They can chose a guy who’s outraged over something that never happened, who wants you to be outraged over an apology that never happened, and who would  allow himself to be goaded into war over the “rights” of an anonymous troll (who might not even be an American) in the guise of shallow patriotism.

Or they can chose the guy who behaves like an actual statesman.

For me, the choice is clear.

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A retired US Navy Chief Warrant Officer who consults for the military in Alaska, where he spends most of his free time in his woodshop or fishing, Wright is also the owner of the blog Stonekettle Station.

 

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