Romney outlines new, aggressive US diplomatic stance

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Mitt Romney has outlined an aggressive return to world affairs under his presidency, identifying Russian President Vladimir Putin as a threat, promising to arm Syria's rebels and hinting that 2014 might not be the time to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Speaking at the Virginia Military Institute, the Republican candidate described a much more interventionist America, with new spending on big-ticket items such as ships, submarines and missiles.
www.perthnow.com.au...

" Aggressive return to world affairs? " I didn`t know it stopped

"New spending for weapons on big ticket items" thats gotta make the tax payers happy?

I think the rest of the world would like a vote also considering alot of the rest of the world gets affected,maybe it would be the only way to get Ron Paul at the helm.(dreaming I know)

As an outsider to the US I find it hard to believe that Romney is using this stance to gather votes,aren`t the average Americans sick of the war machine yet?

have a link? I really dont like the guy but i would like to hear/read his words, Often lots of things get misinterpreted in translation and i find it hard to believe he would smash the moderate vote with talk like this in the open.

reply to post by POPtheKlEEN89


Agreed POPtheKlEEN89 and I hope it is a misrepresntation of what he has said.

I`m not much into politics and especially another countries,but this really struck me enough to post it, for others to comment and to get mainly the thoughts about it from American ATS members.

reply to post by gps777


Well it's about damn time someone noticed the Bear isn't hibernating anymore and that cut rate rust bucket Navy ain't quite what it USED to be. Add bleeding edge missile, anti-missile, fighter and submarine technology either online or about to BE online and it's music to my ears that at least one guy gets it on THAT one.

This Man
Is Not A Friend

and the news will cover more eventually. Right now his statements about having 24/7 365 Missile Submarine patrols restored by the end of this year isn't making much news.....nor are the 10 boats ordered and delivering as we speak of a new ICBM Missile Submarine class. Russia's been busy and the Bear has teeth again.....however little it's shown them thus far.

Though I'd love to hear his reasoning on the Syrian rebels. When they win, they'll throw us out of there too, just like Libya. The love our STUFF, not US....and if backing at least some of the wrong rebel sides over the years hasn't taught us a thing, I guess nothing will.

Well, the guy we have now is what has been making concessions to Russia as they've grown stronger and carried the water for the Free Syrian Army this far. I guess I'll just have to hold my nose when I vote.

For those who don't recall what having Russia for an OPEN enemy is like.....well.... 'The Day After' is a pretty good look at what everyone was told, flat out, was going to be the new reality...for those lucky few million who survived the first couple weeks, and then few months of radiation hangover. The stats say 100 Million people saw that, so I'd guess a few recall it. It took all the 'fun' out of imagining a war. That's for sure. In Missouri, people would have 45 minutes warning! That's something.

Strength when negotiating with Russia is GOOD....Weakness is simply pitied.

reply to post by gps777


This exact thing is why I switched sides this election year, from a life long Republican to Democrat. This man wants to take a stronger, longer approach to the Middle East. How is he going to do that......with our troops. They are just pawns in his little political chess game. NO THEY ARE NOT. They aren't just numbers and mindless killing machines......they are our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, our friends and families.....our loved ones that are just trying to do their part for their country. When a soldier dies, to him it would just be a statistic, to us, our life is changed forever because someone we love dearly died. Say what you want about Obama, but he put an end to the Iraq nonsense and wants to get us out of Afghanistan. The economy, it will recover, it always does. Jobs, they will come. What good is having a little more money in your pocket and a better job if your father or brother is dead in some random arse country that we don't need to be in anyway? I am sorry, but, THAT is whats important to me this election year, the lives of our loved ones, not money or jobs. Bring our troops home, I have already had too many people I care about die for this nonsense, I am done with it.

They always distrust russia, hillary moans every time there is a putin reelection about voter fraud (pot, kettle). They are always arming some type of webels. And they are always hinting that some point in the future will be an afghan withdrawal (2014? How about now?)

hope for same. Anyone but sanity. Robama Obamney 2012-?

I wonder if he can point his finger on where Syria or even Russia is on a map.
Also he said he would cut spending/cut the debt but he wants more money for defense / longer war(s).
Then says he would cut some programs, which is nothing in money (compared with the amount of spending/revenue.

reply to post by billy197300


Yeah.... We're leaving, then we're not, then we are..... Obama couldn't make up his mind if he was told what to think and I have no faith our people come out any way other than a repeat of Saigon under him. I don't even think it would bother him all that terribly on a personal level...and thats the worst part. However, nothing about 2014 is solid and his own people have said as much.

"We are bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. And I've set a timetable. We will have them all out of there by 2014," Obama told a crowd in Boulder Sunday afternoon as he slammed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for dodging the issue during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

However, about two hours after Obama spoke, Carney said in a press briefing aboard Air Force One that the president had not pledged a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"He never said that all the troops would be out," the press secretary declared. "What we’ve said, as we did in Iraq -- and I think this is a good way to look at it —is in Iraq, there were steps of—sort of milestones where troops began to come home, more and more authorities transferred over to Iraqi security forces. The U.S. forces that remained as that process took place moved out of the cities and on to bases. And then the full transfer took place and combat mission ended, after which remaining U.S. forces eventually came home and the last U.S. soldier left, with the exception obviously of those who are at the embassy."

Source

Iraq was ended and withdrawal happened RIGHT ON TIME...to a timetable BUSH Established under agreements for the Status of Forces with the Iraq Government. Obama just didn't extend them.....NOR did he accelerate that time table by one single day.

Gitmo? Still there... altho he did just buy that prison they first looked at moving them all to, then swore they wouldn't,. No one knows what exactly why they bought it as the news report I saw said it. Interesting...

....but this Nobel Peace Prizer is no PeaceKeeper. He's been a War Time President since day one and drones are 4x's as active over more nations than ever before ...with NO talk of when that part ever stops.. Syria? Iran? North Africa? Yeah.. I see gardens of white roses and doves on the breeze under Obama. ugh...

I watched his speech. It was a good speech. (For the record - I'm not a fan of Romney) The one thing that made me nervous was when he started talking about Israel and Iran.

Obamas plan for Israel .. put lots of daylight between the USA and Israel. And that's exactly what Obama did. He went too far. He alienated and treated Israel wrong.

Romneys plan ... 'no daylight between the USA and Israel'. (his direct quote) I don't like that. I think he's going to go too far the other way.

I doubt that he'd be 'making it easier for the Syrian rebels to get arms'. The situation is more complicated than that .. with Russia and Saudi Arabia and Iran heavily involved in Syria.

Other than the Israel and Iran thing (which were biggies) ... pretty good speech.

reply to post by billy197300


Loved to read that billy197300

Thats how I thought the majority of Americans would feel about it and vote accordingly.

Seems a strange way to sway votes his way imo.

I could understand spending money on defense of your shores,but a more aggressive stance in world affairs,seems like a shot in the foot.

What new spending? I just read a thread that said Romney would fix the debt problems we are facing

I hope the people supporting Romney will really listen to what he is saying here... continued war in Afghanistan, reviving the Cold War, he has stated many times already how he would love to go into Iran and of course arming Al Qaeda in Syria to overthrow the Syrian Government. Perhaps someone should tell him to go ask that Libyan Ambassador how well that strategy worked out in Libya.

This guy is a complete war monger who will increase our debt and military spending. Any dent he MIGHT make to our debt will be at the expense of those who truly need help right here at home.

I swear, if Romney wins this election I just might leave the Country and opt to live in Central America instead. I'd feel safer dealing with the drug lords and the CIA drug mules.

I am surprised that most Americans don't realize that Russia "is" Iran and the US "is" Israel and the 2 have been using them to test arms and strengths for decades. Both are useful idiots so it doesn't have to be a direct thermonuclear war. Russia broke the rules of engagement when they put WMD in Iraq in the late 1990's. But they got moved by Russia to Syria ahead of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 so that's the next hot spot.

The middle east is ALL, 100% about the US vs. Russia, and in post-WWII modern history, always has been.

Romney is a coward who dodged the draft by hiding behind his religion and now wants to be Commander and Chief of the US military. He is unfit to lead this nation or the military.

Originally posted by Grimpachi
Romney is a coward who dodged the draft by hiding behind his religion and now wants to be Commander and Chief of the US military. He is unfit to lead this nation or the military.

WHOA..... I don't know you to lie and fabricate so I'll make the assumption of BAD info here and not deliberate massaging of the facts.

However,.. Romney absolutely DID NOT dodge the draft or play coward. MIGHT he have? Hard to say....He was damn sure eager about his Missionary 'tour' for the LDS, as a large % of young Mormons do at that age.

We''ll never know though because by the time Mitt turned of age to face his draft card as more than a question mark, Nixon had turned the tide and Romney was no longer in a position of seeing his number called. It never was for him to face that choice.....and I don't know by his actions and statements OF THAT TIME just which way he would have gone.

However.... I don't vote and base decisions on the nation's future on maybes', could be's or wishful thinking and if he didn't DO it..He's not blamed for what MIGHT have been if 100 things had been different than actually happened.

Mitt is Not Guilty 100% on this particular charge.......but thanks to an absolutely WORTHLESS Media, one has to put personal time into digging the facts to learn what should be openly declared and accepted by now.

reply to post by gps777


I agree with Romney! You can only deal with China and Russia from a position of STRENGTH. Don't you see what has happened with our current President and trying to be the "Good Guy". China and Russia have tried to screw us at every turn and you expect that Damm Pansy in the White House to "Man Up"? Take the DAILY cyber attacks against us by China, Ole Barack Osorry just wants to be able to shutdown the Internet rather than deal with China. Russia is shipping arms and ammo to Syria and what does Prez do?, give Russia 36 million to give our Astronauts a lift to the Space Station. It just goes on and on, we need someone who is not afraid to confront these other countries and their leaders.

oh so the anti Christ wants to beef up our interventionism......aha....Like that is off base from what we expected. What a moron.

Eh, bring it on, and get it over with. The faster he makes huge mistakes, the faster he can pay the price.

don't worry world, we will extradite him when you ask....

PS:

I also think china is a threat. That much I agree with him. Russia I see being a standoffish ally down the road...I don't know. They are almost AS DANGEROUSE, but I see them being more in line with our thinking.

I think that if you want to save American lives, you would want to look at reducing crime by rehabilitation and bettering health-care. Those two things are far more important to keeping American lives than any war against terrorisms would be.

Also, when it comes to China: The best way to loose the economic war that China is doing right now would be to increase military spending by going into a war. Making a huge deficit in USA would really not help with the situation that China is heading for economic dominance.

And, the new arms Russia is heading for is a byproduct of the missile-shield program. Exactly how do you think Russia would react if USA did another thing to "defend" itself?

China and Russia has already agreed upon trading oil in China's currency. Brazil might soon follow. When the petro-dollar comes to an end, there will be economic disaster in USA. Remember what happened in Soviet. They had lots of soldiers and military stuff, but they lost control over it. The black market took the gear for the soldiers when the soldiers no longer got payed.

Obama isn't a saint, but Romney is far worse. When a president says he don't care about a huge part of the American population, Americans should take the hint. Think SELF PRESERVATION, save yourselves!

reply to post by gps777


I don't know where to start with this statement , both the message and the deliverer of the message are sadly deluded, playing with words to win a few votes. First of all the US has never not had an aggressive foreign policy starting countless wars to ensure a steady supply of Resources the most important being oil. Also aggressively destabilising foreign democratically elected governments if their policies do not align with the policies of the US.

So nothing new will happen if Romney is elected. The reality now however is this aggressive foreign policy has had it's day as it cannot be backed up by economics any more, Americas enemies are also it's creditors and they could pull the plug on the US very quickly if threatened. Think of the US as a big old pitbull that is losing its teeth, it's bite is no where near as bad as its bark.

Given the crippling debt and massive social problems the US has its like the Soviet Union just before it imploded in the late 80's, the current military spending of over 800 billion $/ year is unsustainable as are its hundreds of Military bases all over the world.

At least Obama recognises the problems and knows he has to tackle these issues by working with all countries to resolve the serious problems in the Middle East, not stand up like Romney and threaten a new aggressive US policy. This type of rhetoric is empty, vacuous and is fooling nobody. It is played to the domestic masses of simple minded ignorant right wing redneck numpties who still think communism is still the great evil.