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Re-elect President Barack Obama or it's doomsday
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star 2012-11-04
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After following the campaign and the three presidential debates in the US 2012 Presidential Election being contested by incumbent President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney — the rational and moral conclusion is that American voters should re-elect President Obama.
A BBC world survey showed that except for Pakistan, all other countries surveyed preferred President Obama. For Romney to be preferred by the Pakistanis could be attributed to the shame they suffered when a US operation killed Osama Bin Laden meters away from a Pakistan military camp. There’s also a very noticeable similarity between Pakistani officials and Romney — they don’t always tell the truth. How many times have Pakistani officials assured us that they’ll neutralize terrorist havens in their country? That has not happened.
That the world feels uncomfortable with Mitt Romney stems from his unclear policies and dubious character. The last person we would trust is a liar. Romney kept talking about a 5-point plan to restore the vigor in the American economy. Asked what exactly is his 5-point plan — Romney could not provide enlightening and convincing answers. The world also followed on networks like CNN the many investigations on the truthfulness of the two presidential combatants. Romney dominates the falsehood chart with outright lies, half-truths and misinterpretations. Even Mitt Romney’s own fellow Republican, Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House, had stated about Romney during the primary debates: “You can’t debate somebody who is dishonest. You just can’t.”
From the overseas perspective, especially for us Filipinos, Mitt Romney is a scary prospect if he’s elected US president. Uncertainty is motor for economic slowdowns and political instability. Listen to Romney and he sounds like he’s out to join hands with Israel and obliterate Iran. Anybody who knows geopolitics will tell you that any effort to obliterate Iran would very likely bring Russia and China into the conflict. That could be a conflict that will be played in many theatres — a World War. It could possibly become a nuclear war.
An Israel-US attack on Iran would upset the world status quo — involving the US and its allies (UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada), Russia and China — and that’s something Russia and China wouldn’t allow. Such a global conflict could make the Philippines a frontline of the competing US and China interests in the West Philippine Sea. If that ever happens, there’s no saying how much we Filipinos will pay in terms of lost lives and the likely economic dislocation.
By promising his unqualified support to the Jewish State, Mitt Romney openly encourages Israeli aggression against Iran. Of course we realize that Romney is playing to the powerful Jewish lobby in America — but his reassurances to Israel could embolden the Israelis to attack Iran. The Israelis have good reasons to fear an Iran with nuclear arms. The unqualified support of Romney could trigger full mobilization. The Israelis have the means to attack and defeat Iran and they’ll go to war if guaranteed that they’ll have full US support when Russia and China react.
Mitt Romney promised to increase the US military budget. He promised to inject $2 trillion that the military never asked. An increased US military budget could only mean that the US will try to make up for their economic setbacks by bringing out the big stick when dealing with other nations. Sum up all the foreign policy pronouncements of Mitt Romney and you will see a single trend — he will abide by the dictum that might is right.
We could hope that perhaps Romney is lying about his unqualified support for Israel and his plan to increase US military capability. What happens if he’s not lying and really prepares for an aggressive American foreign policy? Romney will need to justify the $2 trillion he plans to inject into the US military budget. That’s a lot of wars if you ask me and one of those conflicts could well be in our West Philippine Sea.
Many may not be aware that even if the US happens to be the single most powerful military force in the world, a combined Russia and China would be difficult to defeat. Through several wars, we’ve seen how soft the US stomach for war is and how American fighting men are just as easily psychologically affected and broken. It’s doubted if the US can stand up to the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) of China or the armed forces of Russia when it comes to on the ground, face-to-face fighting. If the fighting goes nuclear, then there will likely be no winner.
The US, Russia and China could be likened to warring elephants just as we Filipinos could be likened to ants at their feet. We have no say in all of this. We cannot tell Mitt Romney — hey, don’t encourage Israel to start a war that could become global. We don’t carry the big stick that will make Mitt Romney listen us. We cannot tell Mitt Romney — hey don’t bring your fight with China to our shores. Again, regardless how many Filipinos will die or suffer economic dislocation — Mitt Romney will make Commander-in-Chief decisions and we will hardly matter in those decisions. That’s the reality our country is in when the big boys decide to rough it up.
It should also be factored that Mitt Romney represents the vested interests in America and his addiction to taxing the rich less is an indication of how he sees the common weal, the majority. Already he manifested his regard for the 47 percent of Americans, calling them government-dependent victims. If that’s how Romney sees the underprivileged in American society, imagine what he thinks of us Filipinos.
Filipino voters in the US have no business voting Republican. Most Filipinos in the US are in the struggling middle class, if not lower. Filipino national interest should form a part of the decision as to whom to vote into office come November 6.
Comparing the Republicans and Democrats, the Republicans held the presidency for 28 years, the Democrats for 22. The Republicans created a total of 24 million jobs while the Democrats created 28 million jobs with 6 years less incumbency. The Republicans were credited for stock market returns of 109 percent while the Democrats generated 992 percent returns.
The American voters mustn’t forget that their economic woes were the results of the George W. Bush presidency and Mitt Romney is sounding every bit the neocon and hawk that Bush was.
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Shakespeare: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”
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