What We Have Learned About Mitt Romney

by Dee Newman

If there’s one thing we have learned about Mitt Romney over the last year, it is that he does not let facts get in his way. His recent deeply offensive comments claiming that Israelis are culturally superior to Palestinians because they have a higher GDP per capita conveniently ignores some significant facts.

Rather than cultural supremacy, the explanation for the economic disparity is more likely the result of Palestinians having to endure decades of a destructive military occupation and devastating domestic trade restrictions and embargoes by the Israelis. Not to mention, the $3 billion a year Israel receives from the United States government to keep its economy artificially prosperous.

Personally, I do not believe that Romney’s comments were racist. He’s a capitalist – a plutocrat. He fervently believes that his class and wealth makes him superior – somehow better than the rest of us, no matter what ethnicity we may be. To him, wealth determines a person’s worth, not integrity.