tangledblue11: Most of your post is emotional in argument and therefore a waste of words but I will touch base on two points that I can see some rationality in. First, Americans like me agree with you about our protectionist behaviors. To this day that is a holdover from the FDR presidency. Reagan finally undid most of FDRs terrible trade/market policies but not all of them.
Second, the fact that you can deal only in extremes in terms of government systems betrays how uneducated you are. As I mentioned, varying degrees of anything exist in life: including socialism. My point is that socialism has a history of misery and poverty which explains the aversion of Americans to that form of government. However, because I actually know enough to see the various shades of life, I can see that most western countries are a mix of capitalist and socialist (or facist, in the case of the US).
Just because you don't have military roaming the streets in France doesn't mean your government - which is tilted more toward socialism than capitalism - isn't being bankrupted and lessened by your poor choice of government. It's the same reason why America has struggled for the past few decades.
I'm utterly speechless about your attitude, which basically boils down to "America n°1, the rest of the world is shit". Interesting. Continue dreaming. It's better than facing the truth, I guess.
Don't go all hypocrit on me like that. You're the one saying protectionism is bad, but when a company is relocating in Asia or somewhere else, costing jobs to America, you're among the firsts to scorn that company. A bit of decency would be nice.
Uh-uh, true, socialism (which is a word you use when you should use communism, but you don't seem to be able to tell them apart - talk about being educated) has had its share of misery and poverty - whereas the USA, it is of public knowledge, has no poverty and no misery.
Funny how a poor guy in America is a dumbass who has simply missed his chance in life because of his own incompetence and stupidity, when a poor guy in any other country in the world is obviously oppressed by a socialist/communist government... Talk about balanced view and "shades of life"!
I start to wonder if you really exist or if you're trolling...
So, pray tell me, Chivalrous Knight of Balaced Views on Life, have you spent time in foreign countries? In Europe? Somewhere else? Despite the obvious ironic tone of my question, it IS a real question.
Back on topic, what scares me about Romney is his obvious lack of diplomacy. Remember when he openly criticized Olympic Games organization in London
while being in London with the UK Prime Minister? I know a President has a staff that help him or her to make speeches or decisions, but that's not heralding of the best for him...