Posted by
Bert Chapman on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 7:10:29 PM
If anyone still doubts that the mainstream media serves as loyal water carriers for Barack Obama, they should have paid attention to its coverage of Mitt Romney's just concluded trip to the United Kingdom, Israel, and Poland. Recognizing that Obama is a failed President, but unwilling to give up their secularist and Keynesian dreams, the traditional networks will say and do anything to take Romney down a notch. Let's start with the British trip.
As a the rescuer of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Romney wanted to see how London was preparing for the Olympics and to cheer on our athletes. He was quoted as saying he didn't know how good British security would be. The fact of the matter is that since he was not in charge of London Olympic security arrangements, he did not have access to the information about how the British were conducting security arrangements. Yet, media distortion and failure to understand the context of his comments provoked a brouhaha and an unnecessary rebuke of Romney from Prime Minister David Cameron.
Turning to Israel, Romney held important meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres as well as visiting the Wailing Wall. He declared the U.S.' unshakable friendship and alliance with Israel and also had the audacity to proclaim that culture affects countries economic performance and vitality. For speaking this quintessential truth, Romney was targeted by petulant Palestineans who have mastered the vernacular of leftist victimization. They instinctively trotted out the discredited bromide of racism and failed to accept the reality that their terrorist proclivities, not Israeli occupation, have kept them from achieving their economic potential. The fact of the matter is that culture affects individual and national economic performance. Romney properly cited David Landes seminal work The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some are So Rich and Some Are So Poor to buttress his argument. Romney could also have cited Thomas Sowell's Race and Culture for further reinforcement.
Romney also demonstrated great appreciation for Poland's current economic achievements, participation and sacrifices in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and sensitivity to its role as a victim of totalitarian oppression from both Germany and the Soviet Union. He paid respect to Polish war dead and to the signal accomplishments of Pope John Paul II. Yet, the media kept complaining that he would not play their rhetorical word games which prompted a Romney advisor to tell the media to kiss his posterior due to their failure to recognize that Romney was visiting an important place in Poland's historical consciousness.
Despite these media distractions and distortions, Romney demonstrated that he is a knowledgeable student of international affairs, economics, and history who looks and sounds presidential. He will support our allies with out hesitation and not pander to leftist ideological nostrums like Barack Obama. If Romney becomes President, Poland can be reassured that we will keep a tight grip on dictatorial regimes like Belarus and a potentially revanchist Russia. Israel can rest assured that a President Romney will understand its security needs and vulnerabilities and give it whatever assistance it requires to maintain and enhance its national freedom and sovereignty.