By Dave Myers
While Mitt Romney enjoys a positive personal image by a large segment of the American public, he is known for the inconsistent record of his positions on several important issues. On key issues where Romney has been consistent, I oppose his positions.
Foreign Policy
· Romney supported the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq. The wars have not only violated international law,1 but have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in the Middle East.2 The U.S. has no right to wage war against and occupy these countries, making them illegal according to the United Nations.3 The United Nations Charter includes a provision formulated by the U.S. that no nation can use armed force without the permission of the United Nations Security Council, and that no nation can use armed force except in self-defense, and not anticipatory self-defense.4 Defying the U.N. Charter,5 the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in a criminal war of aggression and illegitimate self-defense, charging a whole nation of people for the crime of a small and violent multinational extremist group.6 The U.S. also invaded Iraq in a criminal war of aggression, defying the U.N. Security Council, which was to send weapons inspectors to Iraq to determine the existence of nuclear weapons there.3
· Romney supports increasing the military by 100,000 troops7 and calls for an expansion of the Navy armada by $40 billion.8 The military budget already accounts for nearly a quarter of federal spending9 and U.S. military spending accounts for over 40% of total spending worldwide.10 The U.S. also has the second largest military by active troops.11 Romney’s support for increasing the military budget and troops seems wasteful and worthless.
· Romney supports the use of enhanced interrogation techniques.12 The techniques, such as waterboarding and sleep deprivation, violate U.S. law according to the Physicians for Human Rights.13
· Romney also opposes the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New-START), a nuclear arms reduction treaty, because it would prevent the US from increasing missile defense in eastern Europe.14 I feel the U.S. has no right to increase missile defense in eastern Europe.
· Romney supports the use of nuclear weapons against Iran.15 Nuclear weapons are capable of killing and poisoning hundreds of thousands of people through explosive blasts and radiation exposure, as witnessed with the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan.16 However, the U.S. government has stated that Iran is not even a nuclear threat.17
· Romney supports the expansion of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.18 Guantanamo Bay has been called “a monstrous failure of justice… beyond rule of law, beyond the protection of any courts and at the mercy of victors”.19
· Romney supported the assassination of Osama bin Laden.20 The killing of bin Laden involved the leader of Al-Qaeda being shot on sight and buried at sea, without a fair trial.21 I believe that all people suspected of committing crimes be given a fair trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty.
· Romney supports Israel’s aggression against Palestine.22 Israel has been criminally attacking and killing Palestinians,23 pushing them out of their lands,24 and refusing peace talks.25
· Romney supports continued militarization of the border with Mexico.26 The militarization of the border began in 1992 along with the Clinton administration’s installation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which effectively stifles Mexican agriculture and industry.27 The once open border has consequently been closed and the immigrants crossing it termed “illegal”. “Illegal” immigrants are politically excluded and have no rights of citizenship so they can be exploited by sectors wanting cheap labor, such as in the agriculture sector. I believe the increased border enforcement causes violence and criminalizes those merely searching for employment. In addition, Romney opposes the DREAM Act, which would provide permanent residency to some immigrant minors who can prove to have graduated from high school in and lived in the US for at least 5 years.28
Social Policy
· Romney supports the testing approach to education, and, in particular, No Child Left Behind.29 In my opinion, learning should not be judged based on how well students perform on tests. Education should be dedicated to the cultivation of human creativity and cooperation and the improvement of human society. Reaching a predetermined level of performance on a particular skill does not qualify as real learning. I believe teaching to test imposes obedience and conformity, and prevents students from exploring and creating.
· Romney has been inconsistent on his position on stem cell research. Romney said “I will work and fight for stem cell research” 30 and “In the end, I became persuaded that the stem-cell debate was grounded in a false premise”.31
· Abortion: Romney has been inconsistent on his position on abortion. In 2002, Romney said “I will respect and protect a women’s right to choose”.32 He also said “I never really called myself pro-choice”.33
· Capital punishment: Romney supports capital punishment, also known as the death penalty.34 While Governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed a capital punishment bill that would reinstate the penalty in that state.35 The Massachusetts House rejected the bill.36 People of minority groups and impoverished means are much more likely to receive the death penalty than their white or well-off counterparts. Many innocent people have been executed simply because of a lack of adequate defense, an adequate defense they cannot afford. Additionally, capital punishment is a form of vengeance that I believe shames the idea of our society being “civilized”.
· Gay rights: Romney supported “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.37 Romney also does not support gay marriage.38 As a gay person, I feel not having the right to marry makes me a second-class citizen socially, legally, and financially.
Economic Policy
· Global Warming: Romney said “Republicans should never abandon pro-growth conservative principles in an effort to embrace the ideas of Al Gore”.39 Romney opposes global warming policy, including cap and trade programs. He also said that carbon is not a harmful pollutant.40 Global warming is an environmental crisis that spans the entire world. Temperatures are rising globally and greenhouse gases are the biggest driver of the rise.41
· Financial Sector Regulation: Romney has called for repeal of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,42 which had goals of “improving accountability and transparency in the financial system”.43 After the Financial Crisis of the late 2000s, I feel strict reform is needed to protect the public from the complex money manipulations of banks and other financial institutions.
· Unionization: Romney opposes the Employee Free Choice Act,44 which would better enable workers to organize into unions to deal with “unfair labor practices”.45 Unions are a tool used by workers to collectively bargain with their employers for fair wages, hours, and benefits.
· Romney opposes raising the federal minimum wage. Romney said “there’s no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs.”46 Increasing the minimum wage would allow the poorest working people to pay for rent, food, clothing, and healthcare.
· Romney supports tax cuts for the wealthy. As Governor of Massachusetts, he supported the Bush tax cuts.47 His proposed tax reforms would cost the those making minimum wage $1,000 more per year, and would give those making over $1 million annually half of the proposed tax cuts, according to research by the Brooking Institution and the Tax Policy Center.48 Tax breaks for the wealthy will do nothing to decrease the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the U.S.
I don’t believe Romney is fit to be president because of his economic, social, and foreign policy positions. Consequently, I will not vote for Romney in 2012. Finally, I would like to end with a quote by one of my favorite political activists, Ralph Nader: “Unconditional voting for the least worst of the two parties means that your vote has no political leverage whatsoever”.49
1 Davidson, Gail. International Law: The Illegality of the War on Afghanistan. http://www.natural-person.ca/pdf/Illegal_War_In_Afghanistan.PDF
2 Hayden, Tom. Civilian Casualties: Hundreds of Thousands in Iraq and Tens of Thousands in Afghanistan but Who is Counting? 20 October 2010. http://tomhayden.com/home/civilian-casualties-hundreds-of-thousands-in-iraq-tens-of-th.html
3 BBC News. Iraw War Illegal, Says Annan. 16 September 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3661134.stm
4 Charter of the United Nations, Chapter VII: Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression. http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter7.shtml
5 Cohn, Marjorie. End the Occupation of Iraq – and Afghanistan. 29 July 2008. http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/29/10670
6 Chomsky, Noam. Was War the Only Answer to 9/11? 5 September 2011. http://www.nationofchange.org/was-war-only-answer-911-1315234772
7 Boxer, Sarah B. Romney: U.S. Troops Reaching ‘Breaking Point’. 13 March 2012. http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/romney-u-s-troops-reaching-breaking-point--20120313
8 Ackerman, Spencer. Wallets Aweigh: Romney’s Navy Surge Could Cost $40 Billion. 17 October 2011. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/romney-shipbuilding/
9 Usgovernmentspending.com. FY12 Federal Budget Spending Estimates for Fiscal Years 2011-2016. http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_budget_detail_fy12bs12012n
10 Stockholm International Peace Reasearch Institute. Sipri Yearbook 2011: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. http://www.sipri.org/yearbook/2011/files/SIPRIYB11summary.pdf
11 U.S. Department of Defense. Personnel & Procurement Statistics. http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/ms0.pdf
12 New York Times. Republican Presidential Debate in South Carolina. 15 May 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/us/politics/16repubs-text.html?pagewanted=all
13 Physicians for Human Rights. Those Who Authorize and Use CIA “Enhanced” Interrogation Tactis Risk Criminal Prosecution. 2 August 2007. http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/press/press-releases/news-2007-08-02.html
14 Romney, Mitt. Obama’s Worst Foreign-Policy Mistake. 6 July 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html
15 CNN. Republican Presidential Debate. 5 June 2007. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/05/se.01.html
16 Pennsylvania State University. The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 2000. http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/poldocs/a-ww2.pdf
17 Mazzetti, Mark. U.S. Assures Israel that Iran Threat is Not Imminent. 19 August 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/world/middleeast/20policy.html?_r=1
18 Think Progress. Romney: ‘We Ought to Double Guantanamo”. 16 May 2007. http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2007/05/16/12919/romney-guantanamo/
19 BBC News. Top UK Judge Slams Camp Delta. 26 November 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3238624.stm
20 Nance, Scott. Romney’s Charge That ‘Any President’ Would Have Killed bin Laden False, Former White House Advisor Says. 23 January 2012. http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2012/01/23/romneys-charge-any-president-killed-bin-laden-false-white-house-adviser/
21 Bowcott, Owen. Osama bin Laden: US Responds to Questions About Killing’s Legality. 3 May 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/03/osama-bin-laden-killing-legality
22 Bendavid, Naftali. Romney to AIPAC: Israel ‘Needs our Support’ Not ‘Lectures’. 6 March 2012. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/03/06/romney-to-aipac-israel-needs-our-support-not-lectures/
23 al-Mughrabi, Nidal. Israel Kills 10 Palestinian Militants in Gaza Strikes. 9 March 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/us-palestinians-israel-gaza-idUSBRE8280W820120309
24 National Post. UN Report Acuses Israel of Pushing Palestinians from Jerusalem. West Bank. 12 February 2012. http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/12/un-report-accuses-israel-of-pushing-palestinians-from-jerusalem-west-bank/
25 The Telegraph. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu ‘To Refuse to Hold Peace Talks’. 26 December 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/8977815/Israels-Benjamin-Netanyahu-to-refuse-to-hold-peace-talks.html
26 Mitt Romney. Romney.com. http://www.mittromney.com/Issues/immigration
27 Jeff Faux. How NAFTA Failed Mexico. June 2003. http://prospect.org/article/how-nafta-failed-mexico
28 Friedman, Emily. Mitt Romney Vows to Veto Dream Act if President. 31 December 2011. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/mitt-romney-vows-to-veto-dream-act-if-president/
29 New York Times. Republican Presidential Debate in South Carolina. 15 May 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/us/politics/16repubs-text.html?pagewanted=all
30 Goldberg, Michelle. Romney’s Weird Abortion Gamble. 24 June 2011. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/06/24/mitt-romney-s-abortion-stance-risks-alienating-religious-right.html
31 The Political Guide. Mitt Romney – Stem Cell Research: Summary. http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Governor/Massachusetts/Mitt_Romney/Views/Stem_Cell_Research/
32 Rubin, Jennifer. Mitt Romney’s Conversion. 5 February 2007. http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/222htyos.asp
33 Wing, Nick. Mitt Romney’s Abortion Stance: ‘I Never Really Called Myself Pro-Choice’. 10 May 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/10/mitt-romneys-abortion-sta_n_493808.html
34 Whyromney.com. Setting the Record Straight. http://whyromney.com/
35 Lewis, Raphael. Romney Files Death Penalty Bill. 29 April 2005. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/04/29/romney_files_death_penalty_bill?pg=full
36 Death Penalty Information Center. Legislative Acitivy – Massachusetts. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/legislative-activity-massachusetts
37 Solomon, John. Romney supports ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. 19 February 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021801218.html
38 Montopoli, Brian. Mitt Romney Pledges Opposition to Gay Marriage. 4 August 2011. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20088274-503544.html
39 Lopez, Kathryn Jean. Romney on Sanford. 23 February 2007. http://www.nationalreview.com/planet-gore/18893/romney-sanford/kathryn-jean-lopez
40 Connelly, Joel. Romney: Carbon is Not a Harmful Pollutant. 19 July 2011. http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/07/19/carbon-is-not-a-harmful-pollutant-romney/
41 Kate Gailbraith. An Eye on the Sky for Texas. March 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/us/state-climatologist-can-explain-why-texans-wont-need-umbrellas.html?_r=1&ref=earth
42 Somanader, Tanya. Romney: I’d Like to Repeal Wall Street Reform. 25 August 2011. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/08/25/303967/romney-dodd-frank-repeal/
43 Govtrack.us. H.R. 4173(111th): Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr4173
44 Condon, Stephanie. Romney Calls Union-Backed Bill “Catastrophic”. 28 May 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503983_162-5047672-503983.html
45 Govtrack.us. H.R. 1409 (111th): Employee Free Choice Act of 2009. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr1409
46 Daily Kos. All Mitt’s Flips. 27 March 2012. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/27/1077928/-All-Mitt-s-flips-
47 Washington, Wayne; and Johnson, Glen. Romney Weighs in – Carefully – on Bush Tax-Cut Plan Governor Won’t Give His Endorsement. 11 April 2003. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/323518181.html?FMT=ABS&date=Apr%2011,%202003
48 Gleckman, Howard. Romney’s Tax Plan: Big Benefits for the Wealthy and Higher Deficits. 5 January 2012. http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org/2012/01/05/romney’s-tax-plan-big-benefits-for-the-wealthy-and-higher-deficits/
49 Allison Kilkenny. Ralph Nader: Stop Voting for the Least Worst. October 2008. http://allisonkilkenny.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/ralph-nader-stop-voting-for-the-least-worst/
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