What DOES Herman Cain Know?

Nov 1st, 2011
by F. Grey Parker

It has been a longstanding complaint of the Republican establishment that President Obama "lacked experience" at the time of his election. Apparently, their base has enamored itself to a candidate who lacks basic knowledge.

Herman Cain has very recently topped his public display of ignorance regarding the Palestinian claim of a "right of return." In an interview with Judy Woodruff, Cain appeared to be very worried that the Chinese might, someday soon, actually develop nuclear weapons.

I am not making this up. He genuinely doesn't appear to understand that China has been a nuclear-weaponized nation for several generations. Even Cain's cheerleaders at Right Scoop and Hot Air are taken aback and are being forced to do back-flips to explain this one.

"JUDY WOODRUFF: Do you view China as a potential military threat to the United States?

HERMAN CAIN: I do view China as a potential military threat to the United States.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And what could you do as president to head that off?

HERMAN CAIN: My China strategy is quite simply outgrow China. It gets back to economics. China has a $6 trillion economy and they're growing at approximately 10 percent. We have a $14 trillion economy -- much bigger -- but we're growing at an anemic 1.5, 1.6 percent. When we get our economy growing back at the rate of 5 or 6 percent that it has the ability to do, we will outgrow China.

And secondly, we already have superiority in terms of our military capability, and I plan to get away from making cutting our defense a priority and make investing in our military capability a priority, going back to my statement: peace through strength and clarity. So yes they're a military threat. They've indicated that they're trying to develop nuclear capability and they want to develop more aircraft carriers like we have. So yes, we have to consider them a military threat." EMPHASIS OURS

One begins to wonder if Mr. Cain thinks "Gitmo" is a double-topping from a competitor's pizza joint.

Forget for a moment that China's "growth" is accomplished through the enforcement of slave labor and central banking policies that artificially valuate their currency. Ignore the common knowledge that, not only is no one seriously talking about cutting defense, we are now spending more militarily than at any time since World War II. The first job of the Presidency is to operate in the realm of national security.

If we were to ever elect as Commander in Chief a man this unaware of longstanding and basic strategic truths, we'd very likely be inviting greater international hostility.

Our enemies would regard it as rational on general principle.