Mitt Romney and Truthiness

 
I noticed the following in Mitt Romney's religion speech [Mitt Romney's Faith In America address (as prepared for delivery)].

Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government. No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty. The lives of hundreds of thousands of America's sons and daughters were laid down during the last century to preserve freedom, for us and for freedom loving people throughout the world. America took nothing from that century's terrible wars - no land from Germany or Japan or Korea; no treasure; no oath of fealty. America's resolve in the defense of liberty has been tested time and again. It has not been found wanting, nor must it ever be. America must never falter in holding high the banner of freedom.

I don't mean to diminish the role played by the United States of America during the second half of World War II but it seems a touch arrogant to say that "No people in the history of the world have sacrificed as much for liberty."



As for not taking any land from Japan, the people of the Ryukyu Islands (including Okinawa) might disagree. America occupied those islands until they were returned to Japan in 1972. The USA still has a military base on Okinawa as far as I know.

America also gained control over the Amami, Miyako and Yaeyama Islands groups at the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco. These islands were subsequently returned. I suppose Mitt Ronmney could argue that technically these territorial acquisitions were on behalf of the United Nations but that's not going to fool anyone.

America took back its colony of the Marianna Islands (Guam) after world War II but this isn't really taking land from Japan since America had previously owned the colony after grabbing it from Spain in 1898.

I was also stuck by the following statement.

I'm not sure that we fully appreciate the profound implications of our tradition of religious liberty. I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired ... so grand ... so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer. The establishment of state religions in Europe did no favor to Europe's churches. And though you will find many people of strong faith there, the churches themselves seem to be withering away.

Unlike many others, Romney seems to be aware of the implications of American tradition of religious liberty. Whereas in Europe religion is disappearing in spite of the fact that European countries have state religions, in America where "religious liberty" is the norm, religion is still so important in politics that Romney is forced to give a speech defending his version of religion. There's irony hidden in there somewhere.

In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion - rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith.

Does this sound like someone who would respect atheists and agnostics? How abut Buddhists?

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[Photo Credits: Mitt Romney from his campaign webstite (True Strength for America's Future); WWI statistics are from Wikipedia.]
[Hat Tip: RichardDawkins.net]