Romney: The 21st Century Can and Must be an American Century

CHARLESTON - Beginning with a laundry list of international threats facing America, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney sketched out a treacherous potential near term future for the United States saying nothing less than the destiny of America and the freedom of the entire globe hangs in the balance.

From a nuclear armed Iran to an internationally isolated Isreal to Afghanistan possibly again falling under Taliban rule to Pakistan collapsing and terrorists gaining control of one of its more than 100 nuclear bombs to China building a global alliance of authoritarian states to Russia reconstituting the Soviet Union to Venezuelan and Cuban communism spreading throughout South and Central America to Mexico's drug war spilling further over the U.S. border, Romney outlined one nightmare scenario after another.

"These are only some of the very real dangers that America faces," Romney said speaking at The Citadel in Charleston on Friday, "If we continue the feckless policies of the past three years."

To avoid this potential future, Romney said the 21st Century must be an American Century — one in which the U.S. has the strongest military and the strongest economy on the planet.

"God did not create this country to be a nation of followers," Romney said.

As president, Romney said he would reverse "President Obama's massive defense cuts." He said he'd also focus on repairing the country's economy beginning on day one.

In his pledge to increase military spending, Romney harkened back to President Ronald Reagan's peace through strength theme, that GOP presidential rival Rep. Michelle Bachman also has been using throughout the campaign.

He also cast doubt on whether U.S. forces would begin to exit Afghanistan and hand over lead responsibiity for stability of the country to Afghan forces as planned in 2014, saying he would institute a review of the Afghan policy and let military commanders rather than politics determine the exit timeline.

"It's very simple," Romney said. "If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on earth, I'm not your president, you have that president today."