So candidate Romney feels free, in the midst of a grave international crisis, to wade in with his comment that "this is a dark day for freedom, and it's a day of shame for the Obama administration." Really? He was referring, of course, to the situation in China, where the dissident attorney, Chen Guangcheng, has complicated an already complex situation by deciding to leave the asylum of the American Embassy--and then changing his mind.
Or course we should be on the side of the angels. Of course we stand for freedom. Of course we should do what we can to protect a dissident from a repressive government. And Chen's odyssey, a blind man escaping his home detention and successfully dodging the authorities on a three-hundred mile trek to the American Embassy, makes of the man a particularly appealing figure, a hero of dissent.
He has, nonetheless, created and then complicated an intolerable diplomatic situation, hard enough for Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to work out without the gratuitous sideline comments of one who seeks only to score political points. Romney has not, to my knowledge, volunteered his wisdom on the solution to this problem. What would he do, at this point? Kidnap Chen and his family and smuggle them back into the asylum that he voluntarily left? Further alienate a powerful foreign state in which were seeking to encourage human rights? Give up on the important trade discussions that were planned? Where's Romney, the business man?
What do we learn about the candidate from these words? Nothing more, really, than what we already know: that he will do anything, say anything, no matter how contradictory, untruthful or destructive, in order to gain the presidency. Spare me. Spare us all from this mendacious and impolitic blunderer.
5 comments:
I am not surprised to read opportunistic gaff after gaff from Romney. He is doing all he can to get elected no matter the cost to others.
Divide and conquer, just like the bought and sold corporations he liquidated. 17,000 employees here a few thousand there, what difference does it really make as long as profit is achieved?
Prior to this election Romney never wore so many pale blue long sleeve shirts rolled up with faded blue stone washed jeans. It is easy to read his facial expressions and body language in the presence of lower middle class audiences. The read is, see me be like you and talk your talk. Pandering is as despicable as patronizing and we will see it continue
as he sucks up to women, gay and lesbian populations, latinos, African Americans and independent voters of many colors and ways of life far removed from his experience. Reality will roll the dice soon in the upcoming debates that will be the deciding factor and open his cans of worms.
Chen Guangchang and his equivocation, which may have spoiled a chance for his freedom just now, is a good example of the difference between freedom of speech in the USA and China. Chen must be terribly torn trying to express the truth while attempting to
protect his family. Romney has no inside information
about what may be working behind the scenes to find balance. In situations like this we see that he is willing to exploit anyone's life or freedom's in order to better his.
SOS
Thanks for the comment, Gary. As usual, we agree. Now we need to make some converts to our point of view!
Chi Sphere said: "Romney has no inside information
about what may be working behind the scenes to find balance."
Exactly. No candidate without high-level clearance can know what goes on behind the scenes in such matters. Even candidate Obama, four years ago, had no first-hand knowledge of the complexities of then-current foreign policy concerns. But I wonder, did Obama back then talk as if he did understand them and knew the answers? I doubt it.
One would think Romney would know better than to make proclamations on things he knows nothing about. But then again...
As Chi suggests, the upcoming debates will be telling.
Thanks Paul and Peter for your comments.
I've been closely following dissidents in China since I moved back to the USA from Macau in 2007. I was fortunate to meet AI Wei Wei in 07 through Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron while his design was being built at the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. We discussed the versions of freedom of speech allowed in the PRC at the time. Ai warned that he was very concerned that a social crack down would occur right after the Olympics. It did occur and it is, according to Ai, the most aggravating thorn within the PRC. The Tweet that squelched the Chen release exposes the near impossibility of back room deals. Information is power and the speed that the web and other social media respond to reality will cause the truth to move into the light of day. It's not a bad thing!
OSCUMMER,THUG,TRAITOR,OVOMIT,OBUMMER.
OBLOWME,
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