Greg Scoblete at RealClearWorld highlights the following from a speech on foreign policy from Mitt Romney that, to use Greg’s rather charitable words, “doesn’t add up.” Comparing the U.S. military to that of Russia and China, Romney makes this claim:
And then consider all the things we expect from our military that they do not expect from theirs. We respond to humanitarian crises, protect world shipping and energy lanes, deter terrorism, prevent genocide, and lead peace-keeping missions. [emphasis mine]
And then consider all the things we expect from our military that they do not expect from theirs. We respond to humanitarian crises, protect world shipping and energy lanes, deter terrorism, prevent genocide, and lead peace-keeping missions. [emphasis mine]I’m finding it hard to recall American troops rushing in to prevent genocide in Rwanda or Darfur…and a quick check of the numbers reveals that the United States currently contributes a whopping 96 personnel (75 of whom are police, and only 10 of whom are troops) to the 90,000-plus involved in UN peacekeeping missions around the world . Not exactly leading the way. Russia, by the way, has contributed almost four times that many, and China has contributed over 2,000 personnel. Though at least the U.S. is on track to pay its full bill for peacekeeping this time around…
(image of a Chinese peacekeeper — a particularly musically inclined one — in DR Congo, from UN Photo)