Still More On Romney's Foreign Policy Speach

A couple of new reactions to Romney's speech at VMI yesterday.  Like everything Romney says is vague and lacking substance Juan Cole found some disturbing hints:
Romney's Five Wars

Mitt Romney’s speech at VMI on foreign policy has been widely condemned as vague and lacking in substance, sort of like the man who gave it. But the speech is also full of suggestions and criticisms of the Obama administration that are simply not realistic. The speech is Romney’s “Mission Impossible,” only without the cool theme music and also without a prayer of being actually achievable short of launching a series of 5 wars. I’ve decided that my initial assumption that a businessman of Romney’s experience must know something about the world was dead wrong. Apparently it is possible to sit in cushy big offices in companies like Bain, and to remain completely ignorant of foreign affairs. Romney’s speeches are all just a replaying for us of the prejudices of CEOs when they play golf together and complain vaguely about the Chinese, Russians, Arabs, and so forth. Or, maybe Romney has gotten so many campaign contributions from arms manufacturers that he can’t help see foreign affairs through the lens of new wars he wants to fight.

So what are Romney's five wars?

1. He wants to return to Iraq although of course that would be illegal.
2. He want's to become more involved in Syria.
3. He want's to attack Iran in spite of the fact that would destabalize the Middle East and probably destroy the world economy.
4. He hints at staying in Afghanistan past 2014
5. The small wars: Intervention in Yemen, Somalia, perhaps even Libya in a ‘war on terror.’

Go to the link for details.

Doug Mataconis calls out Romney's misrepresentation of the status of the navy.

During his foreign policy speech yesterday at Virginia Military Institute, Mitt Romney made a claim that he’s repeated several times in the past:

“The size of our Navy is at levels not seen since 1916. I will restore our Navy to the size needed to fulfill our missions by building 15 ships per year, including three submarines.”

Doug does a good job at pointing out that this is at best comparing apples and oranges and at worst utter bull shit.  Once again go to the link for details.