Gilbert Cranberg: Take That, Europe!
Posted at 5:19 pm, January 11th, 2012
You have to hand it to Mitt Romney. He’s no time-waster. No sooner had he vanquished his Republican rivals in New Hampshire, than he put bigger game in his sights. Romney’s victory speech made it clear that he won’t be distracted by minor nuisances like Iraq when there’s more potent enemies to contend with: Europe!!
According to Romney, Barack Obama threatens the very soul of America because he wants “to fundamentally transfom” the country by turning it into “a European-style entitlement society.” Romney says Obama “takes his inspiration from the capitals of Europe.” In a final insult, Romney said he wanted Americans “to remember when our White House reflected the best of who we are, not the worst of what Europe has become.”
Romney’s attack on Europe is astounding. Do his speechwriters have such short memories they have forgotten how we fought shoulder to shoulder with Europe to defeat the Nazis in World War II? Or doesn’t anyone proof-read Romney’s speeches before he delivers them?
A dash of xenophobia now and then may be considered smart politics. Still, Romney’s gratuitous slurs at a whole continent of close allies is jarring, if not plain stupid. Romney managed to mar his victory in New Hampshire with remarks that call into question both his judgment and his grasp of what it takes to be a world leader.
January 11th, 2012 at 10:59 pm |
I, in no way want to become what Europe is now, ever! That is what he was saying. Looks like you didn’t get it.
January 12th, 2012 at 1:22 am |
And what, Mr. Waldener, “is Europe now?” I ask because people with more than two brain cells to rub together generally see Europe as an entire continent of countries with diverse cultures, languages, historical trajectories, strengths, and weaknesses, not amenable to pithy distillation into Facebook-style “likes” or dislikes.
So, you know, I’m wondering what insights you (and Mitt) have that so many others (including hundreds of millions of Europeans) have missed.
January 18th, 2012 at 5:43 pm |
…and then he attacked Turkey causing our State Dept to hurriedly do some damage control lest we lose another one of our langstanding NATO allies… how crazy is that!
I’m also pretty sure Romney couldn’t find Turkey on a map, but he probably has no trouble finding the Cayman Islands where it is rumored he and his wife have stashed millions so as to leave them free from even the small amount of tax they would have had to pay on them if the money had been invested in the US (Remember taxes on dividends are never more than 15% but if you actually worked for your money, your taxes could be 39%.
In the past our country did very well with the same tax rates on income from work and on income from investment. The pseudo-Republicans now want to do away with taxes on dividends altogether and let people who work for a paycheck pay even more taxes (see the article by Mike Lofgren, a former Republican staffer, in this same issue.)
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:49 pm |
This Cronberg has his formula down pat. Say inflamatory BS to get views? There is no advertising on this page, so that can’t be right… The guy is just a royal idiot.
Cronberg’s arguements are completely unfounded, so he relieson teh xenophobic argument. What an ass.