From the Atlanta Journal Constitution, with pithy commentary (I have deleted the annoying "thank you's" in the beginning).
Of all the VMI ["The Institute will be HEARD from today," said some confederate in the Civil War . Sorry.]graduates, none is
more distinguished than George Marshall—the Chief of Staff of the Army who
became Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, who helped to vanquish
fascism and then planned Europe’s rescue from despair. His commitment to peace
was born of his direct knowledge of the awful costs and consequences of war.
General Marshall once said, “The
only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it.” [Bullshit. That is not pithy.] Those words were
true in his time—and they still echo in ours.
Last month, our nation was
attacked again. A U.S. Ambassador and three of our fellow Americans are
dead—murdered in Benghazi , Libya America .
And he is right. We all mourn their loss.
The attacks against us in Libya were not
an isolated incident. [Here, here.] They were accompanied by anti-American riots in
nearly two dozen other countries, mostly in the Middle East, but also in Africa
and Asia . Our embassies have been
attacked. Our flag has been burned. Many of our citizens have been
threatened and driven from their overseas homes by vicious mobs, shouting
“Death to America .”
These mobs hoisted the black banner of Islamic extremism over American
embassies on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
As the dust settles, as the
murdered are buried, Americans are asking how this happened, how the threats we
face have grown so much worse, [That's not true.] and what this calls on America to
do. These are the right questions. And I have come here today to
offer a larger perspective on these tragic recent events—and to share with you,
and all Americans, my vision for a freer, more prosperous, and more peaceful
world.
The attacks on America last
month should not be seen as random acts.[You just said that.] They are expressions of a larger
struggle that is playing out across the broader Middle East [Do you have ADD?]—a region that is
now in the midst of the most profound upheaval in a century. And the
fault lines of this struggle can be seen clearly in Benghazi itself.
The attack on our Consulate in Benghazi on September
11th, 2012 was likely the work of forces affiliated with those that attacked
our homeland on September 11th, 2001. This latest assault cannot be blamed on a
reprehensible video insulting Islam, [Applause]despite the Administration’s attempts to
convince us of that for so long. [Here, here.] No, as the Administration has finally
conceded, these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists who use violence
to impose their dark ideology on others, [Hmmm. "Dark ideology." Islam? terrorists? who does he mean? "Impose?" I don't think Islam wants to convert the rest of us, they want to kill us, Christians and Jews and Hindus and non-Muslims.] especially women and girls; ["Okay, I have to put women and girls in here someplace because I'm losing the female vote."] who are
fighting to control much of the Middle East
today; and who seek to wage perpetual war on the West.
We saw all of this in Benghazi last month—but
we also saw something else, something hopeful. After the attack on our
Consulate, tens of thousands of Libyans, most of them young people, held a
massive protest in Benghazi
against the very extremists who murdered our people. [Why did he switch from "terrorists" to extremists?"] They waved signs
that read, “The Ambassador was Libya ’s
friend” and “Libya
is sorry.” They chanted “No to militias.” They marched, unarmed, to the
terrorist compound. Then they burned it to the ground. As one
Libyan woman said, “We are not going to go from darkness to darkness.”
This is the struggle that is now
shaking the entire Middle East to its
foundation. [Now he switches from one country, Libya, above, to the "entire Middle East." Wrong. In Libya, the enemies of "darkness" won, in Egypt "darkness" won.] It is the struggle of millions and millions of people—men and
women, young and old, Muslims, Christians and non-believers—all of whom have
had enough of the darkness. [Now he involves Christians and non-believers (not Jews). Wrong. The "struggle" in Egypt, which is in the Middle East, was, first of all it "was," not "is;" The struggle in Egypt is over, the dark Muslim Brotherhood won, and it was overwhelmingly an intra-Muslim struggle; Very few Christians and Atheists, and very few Muslim liberals, who lost the election.] It is a struggle for the dignity that comes
with freedom, and opportunity, and the right to live under laws of our own
making. It is a struggle that has unfolded under green banners in the
streets of Iran , [Iran? Umm, the forces of darkness won that one in 1979, and again in 2009.] in the
public squares of Tunisia
and Egypt and Yemen , and in the fights for liberty in Iraq , and Afghanistan ,
and Libya , and now Syria . In
short, it is a struggle between liberty and tyranny, justice and oppression,
hope and despair. [No. It was a struggle between Islam as it is preached and practiced today by the majority and the rest, not all of the rest being lovers of "liberty, justice, and hope."]
We have seen this struggle
before. It would be familiar to George Marshall. [Yes, Islam as it is preached and practiced today is a Nazi-like ideology.] In his time, in
the ashes of world war, another critical part of the world was torn between
democracy and despotism. Fortunately, we had leaders of courage and
vision, both Republicans and Democrats, who knew that America had to
support friends who shared our values, and prevent today’s crises from becoming
tomorrow’s conflicts.
Statesmen like Marshall rallied our nation to rise to its
responsibilities as the leader of the free world. We helped our friends
to build and sustain free societies and free markets.[Is he going to propose a "Marshall Plan" for Islam?] We defended our
friends, and ourselves, from our common enemies. We led. And though
the path was long and uncertain, the thought of war in Europe
is as inconceivable today as it seemed inevitable in the last century.
This is what makes America
exceptional: It is not just the character of our country—it is the record
of our accomplishments. America
has a proud history of strong, confident, principled global leadership—a
history that has been written by patriots of both parties. That is America at its
best. And it is the standard by which we measure every President, as well
as anyone who wishes to be President. Unfortunately, this President’s policies
have not been equal to our best examples of world leadership. [True.] And nowhere
is this more evident than in the Middle East . [True.]
I want to be very clear: [You sound like Obama now.] The
blame for the murder of our people in Libya , and the attacks on our
embassies in so many other countries, lies solely with those who carried them
out—no one else. But it is the responsibility of our President to use America ’s great
power to shape history—not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the
mercy of events. Unfortunately, that is exactly where we find ourselves
in the Middle East under President Obama.
The relationship between the
President of the United States
and the Prime Minister of Israel, our closest ally in the region, has suffered
great strains. The President explicitly stated that his goal was to put
“daylight” between the United States
and Israel . [Since "daylight" is in quotes I assume Obama said that. I don't know what the context was.] And he has succeeded. This is a dangerous situation that has set back the
hope of peace in the Middle East and emboldened our mutual adversaries,
especially Iran . [What about those Young Iranians for Freedom you were just talking about, Governor?]
Across the greater Middle East , as the joy born from the downfall of
dictators has given way to the painstaking work of building capable security
forces, and growing economies, and developing democratic institutions, the
President has failed to offer the tangible support that our partners want and
need. [That is absolutely not true. Obama sided with the "street," during "Arab Spring." He helped push Mubarak out in Egypt.]
In Iraq ,
the costly gains made by our troops are being eroded by rising violence, a
resurgent Al-Qaeda, the weakening of democracy in Baghdad ,
and the rising influence of Iran .
And yet, America ’s ability
to influence events for the better in Iraq has been undermined by the
abrupt withdrawal of our entire troop presence.[Not true. In 2008 President Bush signed an agreement with the Iraqi government to have all American forces withdrawn by December 31, 2011. Obama withdrew the last of them on December 18, 2011.] The President tried—and
failed—to secure a responsible and gradual drawdown that would have better
secured our gains. [Absolutely not true.]
The President has failed to lead
in Syria ,
where more than 30,000 men, women, and children have been massacred by the Assad
regime over the past 20 months. [So does he propose later in this speech how he, Governor Romney, would "lead in Syria?"] Violent extremists are flowing into the
fight. Our ally Turkey
has been attacked. And the conflict threatens stability in the region.
The President is fond of saying
that “The tide of war is receding.” And I want to believe him as much as
anyone. But when we look at the Middle East today—with Iran closer than
ever to nuclear weapons capability, with the conflict in Syria threatening to destabilize
the region, with violent extremists on the march, and with an American
Ambassador and three others dead likely at the hands of Al-Qaeda affiliates— it
is clear that the risk of conflict in the region is higher now than when the
President took office.[That is true, the region is more dangerous today than when Obama was sworn in. Is it so Governor, because of Obama, because of things he has and has not done? You going to tell us how? And how President Romney would have done it differently, would do it differently now?]
I know the President hopes for a
safer, freer, and a more prosperous Middle East allied with the United States .
I share this hope. But hope is not a strategy. We cannot support
our friends and defeat our enemies [Who, in your opinion Governor, are our "enemies" in the Middle East? Name them.] in the Middle East
when our words are not backed up by deeds, [Examples, please.] when our defense spending is being
arbitrarily and deeply cut, [Not true.] when we have no trade agenda to speak of, [Our "trade agenda" with Muslim Arabia? What should it be, lower the prices on locusts and dates?]and the
perception of our strategy is not one of partnership, but of passivity. [Who should we partner with, Governor?]
The greater tragedy of it all is
that we are missing an historic opportunity to win new friends who share our
values in the Middle East —friends who are
fighting for their own futures against the very same violent extremists, and
evil tyrants, and angry mobs who seek to harm us. [Ahh yes, the "silent majority" of Republicans and Democrats in Muslim Arabia.] Unfortunately, so many
of these people who could be our friends feel that our President is indifferent
to their quest for freedom and dignity. [Absolutely not true.] As one Syrian woman put it, “We will
not forget that you forgot about us.” [What would you do, Governor?]
It is time to change course in the
Middle East . [Okay, here we go.] That course should be
organized around these bedrock principles: America must have confidence in our
cause, [Wow. That's deep. We should have "confidence." That's a deep "bedrock principle." Yes, I can see the change of course coming now.] clarity in our purpose ["Confidence," "clarity,"] and resolve in our might. [And resolve. C.C.R. Creedence Clearwater Revival! C.C.R.! C.C.R.! C.C.R.!] No friend of America
will question our commitment to support them [Because we have "Confidence!"]… no enemy that attacks America
will question our resolve to defeat them [Because we have "Resolve!]… and no one anywhere, friend or foe,
will doubt America’s capability to back up our words. [Because we have...Capability!]
I will put the leaders of Iran on notice that the United States
and our friends and allies will prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. [Good. Didn't Obama do that in his (2012) U.N. speech?] I will not hesitate to impose new sanctions on Iran , and will tighten the
sanctions we currently have. [You want to tell us how or no? No? Alright then.] I will restore the permanent presence of aircraft
carrier task forces in both the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf region [The first specific. Sounds good here. Permanent aircraft task forces!]—and
work with Israel
to increase our military assistance and coordination. ["To increase our military assistance and coordination." We're still on one specific.] For the sake of
peace, we must make clear to Iran
through actions—not just words—that their nuclear pursuit will not be
tolerated.
I will reaffirm our historic ties
to Israel
and our abiding commitment to its security—the world must never see any
daylight between our two nations.[Is he being clever here? "the world must never see." Is he saying it's alright to have "daylight" between Israel and America but just not let the world see? He is not saying "there must not be daylight between Israel and America."]
I will deepen our critical
cooperation with our partners in the Gulf. [Oh my God.]
And I will roll back President
Obama’s deep and arbitrary cuts to our national defense that would devastate
our military. I will make the critical defense investments that we need to
remain secure. ["Critical cooperation" and "critical defense investments." Wow.] The decisions we make today will determine our ability to
protect America
tomorrow. [This is so vapid it is painful.] The first purpose of a strong military is to prevent war.
The size of our Navy is at levels
not seen since 1916. [I assume that is true. Did that all happen under Obama. What level was the Navy at under Bush43? 1926 I bet at least.] I will restore our Navy to the size needed to fulfill our
missions by building 15 ships per year, including three submarines. [15 and 3, those are specific.] I
will implement effective missile defenses to protect against threats. [...]And on
this, there will be no flexibility with Vladimir Putin.[No Flexibility! No Flexibility! Hiss, Poot-poot] And I will call on our
NATO allies to keep the greatest military alliance in history strong by honoring
their commitment to each devote 2 percent of their GDP to security spending.
Today, only 3 of the 28 NATO nations meet this benchmark.[He will "call on" them. Okay.]
I will make further reforms to our
foreign assistance to create incentives for good governance, free enterprise,
and greater trade, in the Middle East and
beyond. [That's okay, you don't have to say how.] I will organize all assistance efforts in the greater Middle
East under one official with responsibility and accountability to
prioritize efforts and produce results. [I guess a Middle East Assistance czar.] I will rally our friends and
allies to match our generosity with theirs. [He will "rally our friends and allies." Oh my God.] And I will make it clear to
the recipients of our aid that, in return for our material support, they must
meet the responsibilities of every decent modern government—to respect the
rights of all of their citizens, including women and minorities… to ensure
space for civil society, a free media, political parties, and an independent
judiciary… and to abide by their international commitments to protect our
diplomats and our property. [He will make all that clear.]
I will champion free trade and
restore it as a critical element of our strategy, both in the Middle
East and across the world. ["critical cooperation," "critical defense investment," "critical element."] The President has not signed one
new free trade agreement in the past four years. I will reverse that
failure. [With who? whom, sorry China? Kiribati? They have good coconuts.] I will work with nations around the world that are committed to
the principles of free enterprise, expanding existing relationships and
establishing new ones. [omg]
I will support friends across the Middle East who share our values, but need help defending
them and their sovereignty against our common enemies. [...]
In Libya ,
I will support the Libyan people’s efforts to forge a lasting government that
represents all of them, and I will vigorously pursue the terrorists who
attacked our consulate in Benghazi
and killed Americans.
In Egypt ,
I will use our influence—including clear conditions on our aid—to urge the new
government to represent all Egyptians, to build democratic institutions, and to
maintain its peace treaty with Israel .
And we must persuade our friends and allies to place similar stipulations on
their aid. ["clear conditions on aid," "to urge." So he could say he accomplished this--and continue giving Egypt aid--as long as he "urged" Egypt blah-blah-blah, even if Egypt didn't do the blah-blah-blah.]
In Syria , I will work with our
partners [Nothing unilateral. No American "leadership" here.] to identify and organize ["identify and organize." It's like a get out the vote effort.] those members of the opposition who share our
values and ensure they obtain the arms they need to defeat Assad’s tanks,
helicopters, and fighter jets. [So no direct intervention in Syria, he would give the rebels arms.] Iran
is sending arms to Assad because they know his downfall would be a strategic
defeat for them. We should be working no less vigorously with our
international partners to support the many Syrians who would deliver that
defeat to Iran —rather
than sitting on the sidelines. It is essential that we develop influence
with those forces in Syria
that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the Middle East .
And in Afghanistan , I will pursue a real
and successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014. [What's Obama's timeframe? I don't even know. I guess it's sooner than that. So Romney wants us in Afghanistan longer. Okay.] President Obama would have you believe that anyone who disagrees with his
decisions in Afghanistan
is arguing for endless war. [Boo Obama.] But the route to more war – and to potential
attacks here at home – is a politically timed retreat that abandons the Afghan
people to the same extremists who ravaged their country and used it to launch
the attacks of 9/11. I will evaluate conditions on the ground and weigh
the best advice of our military commanders. ["evaluate" and "weigh." Obama doesn't do that, he "weighs" and "evaluates."] And I will affirm that my duty is
not to my political prospects, but to the security of the nation.[YEAH!!!!!!!]
Finally, I will recommit America to the goal of a democratic, prosperous
Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the Jewish
state of Israel . ["Recommit" means there is an existing "commitment."] On this vital issue, the President has failed, [See, Obama merely "committed." Obama "FAILED" because he didn't "recommit." Only Mitt can "recommit." "Recommit with Mitt."] and what should be a negotiation
process has devolved into a series of heated disputes at the United Nations. In
this old conflict, as in every challenge we face in the Middle
East , only a new President will bring the chance to begin anew.[My God, he actually said it. "Only a new president," him--he--can "recommit. The "old" president can only "commit." Oh my God.]
There is a longing for American leadership
in the Middle East —and it is not unique to
that region. It is broadly felt by America’s friends and allies in other
parts of the world as well— in Europe, where Putin’s Russia casts a long shadow
over young democracies, [Hmmm. "A long shadow." Is Poot-poot threatening to re-enslave Eastern Europe? Too bad, I'm for ending NATO.]and where our oldest allies have been told we are
“pivoting” away from them [Obama's "pivot" was away from the Middle East, not from Europe. We should pivot back to the Atlantic. Where does Mitt want to pivot? Can he pivot? Mitt, can you pivot? Show me, pivot, right now.] … in Asia and across the Pacific, where China’s
recent assertiveness is sending chills through the region [I'm glad Romney's just talking about a "longing for American leadership" here and not, like, war with China.] … and here in our own
hemisphere, where our neighbors in Latin America want to resist the failed ideology
of Hugo Chavez [Venezuela just reelected him.] and the Castro brothers and deepen ties with the United States
on trade, energy, and security. But in all of these places, just as in
the Middle East, the question is asked: “Where does America stand?” [Who is asking that?]
I know many Americans are asking a
different question: “Why us?” [Who is asking that?] I know many Americans are asking whether
our country today—with our ailing economy, and our massive debt, and after 11
years at war—is still capable of leading. [To the "many" of my fellow Americans who are asking that question, could you please identify yourselves?]
I believe that if America does
not lead, others will—others who do not share our interests and our values—and
the world will grow darker, [and darker and darker. Fade to black.]for our friends and for us. America ’s
security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last
four years. I am running for President because I believe the leader of
the free world has a duty, to our citizens, and to our friends everywhere, to
use America’s great influence—wisely, with solemnity and without false pride,
but also firmly and actively—to shape events in ways that secure our interests,
further our values, prevent conflict, and make the world better—not perfect,
but better. [Better Not Perfect! Better Not Perfect!]
Our friends and allies across the
globe do not want less American leadership. They want more—more of our
moral support, more of our security cooperation, more of our trade, and more of
our assistance in building free societies and thriving economies. ["leadership" ="moral support" + "security cooperation" + "more trade" + "more of our assistance." Really, that's what leadership is?] So many
people across the world still look to America as the best hope of
humankind. So many people still have faith in America . We must show them
that we still have faith in ourselves [ That's the "Confidence"]—that we have the will [That's the "Resolve."] and the wisdom [That's the...wisdom.] to
revive our stagnant economy, to roll back our unsustainable debt, to reform our
government, to reverse the catastrophic cuts now threatening our national
defense, to renew the sources of our great power, and to lead [i.e. moral support, blah-blah-blah.]the course of
human events.
Sir Winston Churchill once said of
George Marshall: “He … always fought victoriously against defeatism,
discouragement, and disillusion.” That is the role our friends want America to play
again. And it is the role we must play. [We-must-do-it! DOWN with defeatism, DOWN with discouragement, DOWN with disillusion...ment! UP with VICTORY, UP with COURAGE, UP with ILLUSION!]
The 21st century can and must be
an American century.[It-must-be.] It began with terror, war, and economic calamity. It is
our duty [It-is.] to steer it onto the path of freedom, peace, and prosperity.
The torch America carries
is one of decency and hope. It is not America ’s torch alone. But it is America ’s duty
– and honor – to hold it high enough that all the world can see its light.
Thank you, God bless you, and God
bless the United States of
America . [There aren't enough flags behind you on the stage. Get some more flags.]
