Republican hope offers ‘century of dominance’

THE front-runner in the race to become the Republican candidate for the US presidency yesterday vowed to strive for a century of American dominance, by strengthening the military and acting outwith the United Nations when necessary.

Former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney also condemned the isolationist policies of the far right of his party in a speech delivered at The Citadel, a historic military college in South Carolina which will hold the first presidential primary in the South early next year.

Mr Romney’s first major foreign policy speech as a candidate amounted to a show of force as he tries to hold on to his lead in the race for the Republican nomination.

“When America is strong, the world is safer,” he said.

“This century must be an American century. In an American century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world,” Mr Romney, 64, added. “God did not create this country to be a nation of followers.

“America is not destined to be one of several equally balanced global powers. America must lead the world, or someone else will.”

The policies Mr Romney outlined are designed to confront what may be the former businessman’s most glaring weakness. While he served as a Mormon missionary in France more than four decades ago, he has only limited foreign policy experience.

“This is America’s moment.”, Mr Romney added. “We should embrace the challenge, not shrink from it, not crawl into an isolationist shell, not wave the white flag of surrender, nor give in to those who assert America’s moment has passed. That is utter nonsense.”