"Democracy is not exclusive to Europe. It belongs to all people." And this: "Today, the people of Taiwan and South Korea carry the banner of freedom on the other side of the world."
Thanks for keeping your eye on the prize: preserving democracy and fighting authoritarianism.
So Marco Rubio spoke about blood and soil in Munich? Has he no knowledge of history or is he trying to lay the groundwork for Hitler 2.0?
To answer your question, from what I saw of AOC at the conference, she excelled in expressing herself clearly, despite having difficulty making up answers to gotcha foreign policy questions about which she knows little or nothing. She's interested in social democracy in Europe and, of course, in the United States where it's under daily extreme assault by Trumpian know-nothings. (correction: they do know about money, not earning it but squeezing it out of individuals and corporations that have it in abundance).
Putting aside foreign policy questions about which she knows little or nothing, AOC does have a fine understanding of what it means to not be a millionaire, much less a billionaire, in a society that is being speedily re-engineered on a racist white supremacy basis to exclude everyone else. Hence her natural affinity for the victims of Russia's imperialistic invasion of Ukraine.
And AOC is far more genuine than Marco, and that does come across to anyone who cares to listen.
I'm disappointed if AOC demurred on China-Taiwan issue. Taiwan is a far more decent government than mainland China's, and it is under constant threat, so AOC should in no uncertain terms pledge her support for Taiwan.
She's not running for country-wide office at this point and apparently had other things in mind at the security conference, which allowed her to present another and blessedly non-Trumpian view of the United States and the aspirations of most Americans. Quite a difference from the way Rubio tried to soft-pedal the vileness of Trump and Vance.
And she got a heck of a lot of positive publicity and showed European leaders that we're not all vile or crazy. Too bad that some major American media focused on her lack of viewpoint on security issues. In terms of foreign policy, however, she got across to the Europeans that Trump and his regime have gone out of their way to alienate that there is a future to the Atlantic alliance - once Trump is gone.
I was disappointed by her whining about being rejected by her party. All I could think is no wonder. She is kind of a one-note samba. Gavin Newsom was good, though.
Does Rubio actually believe his own rhetoric, or is he just trying to placate his White House master? Senator Rubio would give Secretary of State Rubio a few choice words.
Rubio and the Trumpists don't much care about the rest of the world, despite their posturing. MAGA's enemies are Americans who do not fall in line. And as they've proven in Minneapolis, they are fully ready to kill those Americans who peacefully oppose them.
Many people associate "American leaders" as being strong, capable, committed to the rule of law, and defenders of equal justice under the law. Many Americans believe it is important to stand up for your allies and help defend them against attacks. Many Americans see the care-giving of the people of Minneapolis as representative of America's shared values.
Sadly, the trump regime has shown that a large portion of America does not believe in or contribute to that vision. The regime tells us money and power to bully others is all that matters. They say THEY represent Americans, but they only represent their personal gain. They do not believe in helping others - they believe in winning by abusing.
What would a "real" American say in Munich? Depends on which group of Americans the speaker represents. Rubio represented the trump regime and their beliefs and his message was received in kind. The American people symbolized by the people of Minneapolis and the phrase "We the People" do not have one leader, one false "god". We recognize that to enjoy the rule of law, freedom, peace, and prosperity, we depend on and trust in one another. That extends to our international friends and countries who share those values.
My heart breaks for Ukraine and the trump's diminishing of U.S. support in their battle. My heart breaks for the residents of Minneapolis, LA, Portland and so many cities in the U.S. assaulted by trump and Stephen Miller's hatred with full Republican complicity. I am not looking for a savior-leader that can take us out of this disaster. I am hoping and trusting we, the majority of the American people, will band together to save our country and once again extend the hand of hope and friendship to others.
I was with you every step of the way until the final sentence of the penultimate paragraph: " If Russia, China, and their ilk use the United Nations to burnish their reputations, then we must build something new: a League of Democracies, as proposed by the late Senator John McCain, to draw a sharp line between good and evil and to tell our shared, democratic story on our own terms."
We should not create a new institution. We should expand and strengthen existing ones, recommitting them as entities composed of democracies and committed to democracy -- NATO, the European Union, the Trans Pacific Partnership (or whatever we are calling it). The EU should be a more integrated and unified entity with closer relationships with the US and the Pacific democracies. The same is true for NATO. Build with what we've got. Len Lubinsky, Len's Political Notes
But I don’t think it addresses the threats to liberal democracy from within our own houses. The public on both sides of the Atlantic are frustrated with our democratic governance. It’s not providing effective solutions on growing our economies, responding to climate change, managing migration and immigration, or creating fair conditions for workers. And so authoritarian and authoritarian adjacent parties have been on the rise, if not fully winning elections.
If those of us who are committed to liberal democracy want to defeat the internal threat and make the investments to defeat the external threats, we need to do a better job of solving our domestic problems and preparing our young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
There is a world of difference between Rubio and AOC. The former is a seasoned political player with a known record on foreign policy and defence. Since the rise of the Trump regime, he has shown himself to be the ultimate disgusting hypocrite, Trump brown-noser, and uber-opportunist whose only guiding principle is how to pave his way to the White House in 2028.
Agree or not with AOC, you can't accuse her of hypocrisy and opportunism. She is a politician, though, with ambitions to ascend. Perhaps even to the presidency. She is taking her first baby steps in foreign policy and defense and is bound to limp here and there. She is on a learning curve. She is popular with segments of the voting public and is definitely charismatic. In my view, it is too early for her to run for the top, and she should work to gain the knowledge and experience needed. A successful run for the Senate (for example) would probably do her a world of good and possibly prepare her for the higher hurdle.
WE the People Are Witnessing A Nazi Republican Takeover
Four months after becoming Chancellor in 1933 Hitler literally burned down the Reichstag(German equivalent of Congress) and essentially became the dictator of the country Today according to the Nazi Republicans SAVE Act you must provide documentary proof of citizenship — a U.S. passport, a birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, or a Real ID that specifically denotes citizenship. Your driver’s license? Doesn’t count The law also disenfranchises many female voters who have taken their husband’s name, requiring them to provide a birth certificate(many cannot locate theirs) or a passport(80% don’t have one)
This coupled with a nationalized vigilante challenge(bit.ly/41UelTx) in their back pocket, the Nazis are putting a full scale assault on the American voter WE the People can fight this with awareness of this Nazi attempt and urging everyone of our friends, neighbors, relatives, and family to vote early to avoid being disenfranchised as a registered voter
Republicans call it the Unitary Executive) Cheeto tried to burn down Congress on J6 2021 but with that effort failing, he and his Nazi allies are taking a different approach by nullifying registered voters
The SAVE Act essentially disenfranchises millions of registered voters in the country by the demand of “voter ID” “Who could argue about a voter ID law?” one would ask Under this SAVE Act in order to register to vote
The Democrats have no positive vision to present. They don't need Reagan's "Morning in America" , but they have to come up with something more inspiring than , "At least we aren't Trump". At this point they are mostly against things with little clarification on what they are for other than vague , meaningless slogans and "promises". It's as if they are afraid of offering a view of America that will upset their perpetual grievance contingent. Their fixation is more on darkness than light.
I think that the Democratic Party is divided on whether to try to "reform" establishment routines, or make needed serious corrections (such as abolish DHS and ICE). USA is under increasing threat of losing representation in government, so foreign policy seems to have been forgotten (except on Israel).
This is a good read and I think a balanced critique of both Rubio and AOC. The thing that galls me about Rubio is that the Rubio of six or seven years ago would have known what the right thing to say was, and I would have assumed he actually believed it. But the Rubio of today cares only about access to power, not about making the world a better and safer place. He has shown himself to be an empty suit who believes in nothing other than maintaining his proximity to power.
I view AOC as more of a work in progress. Security is not really her forte and she needs to immerse herself in the topic. I don't view her as seasoned enough to be president, but don't rule out the possibility that someday she will be. I think Rubio has completely disqualified himself to ever be president. JFK was a young president and as a senator was far from being a policy heavyweight. But he had come of age during WWII. His father had so hated the British that he was kind of neutral between the West and Hitler. Joe Kennedy was a defeatist and didn't want America to help Britain. But JFK came out of the war with an understanding of the unique role that the US could play. As Eisenhower before him had been, he was skeptical of some warmongers in the Pentagon, but he also understood that weakness in the face of Soviet tyranny would make us less safe. We need to find the proper balance. Europe needs to take more responsibility for their own security and I think that Europe needs to have its own nuclear capability seperate from the UK and France or relying on a completely unreliable US. Europe needs to stregthen its defense and defense manufacturing ties to the democracies of the Asia-Pacific region. NATO needs to assume that the US is an unreliable and untrustworty ally going forward. America will always be just one election away from falling into autocracy. I want the US to be a trustworthy ally, but nobody can really trust that we will be.
Perhaps you know Ms Kaitlan Collins well enough to suggest she ask Trump the following:
“Imagine you were being confronted by a powerful person demanding you offer concessions to someone who had stolen real estate from you and, in the process, had killed, injured a few of your family members.
I supported Harris (anyone but Trump) and they are asking for support again but I am withholding support until they show me a better messaging. Which is what I think you are saying too.
Mr Kasparov, I didn't hear AOC's speech but I have high regard for your honesty. Also I can believe that AOC would "stick to her guns" of focussing on her usual brand of criticizing USA internal policy and avoid talk on foreign policy.
This is rather unfortunate because while her concern regarding oligarchs is indeed an international issue, so are many other things she chose to demure on. I would expect that such weakened her message.
Is it just a dream that AMERICA, it's instutions now gutted, it's leadership sold to the highest bidder, will ever again be the world's democratic statesman?
More the nightmarish and cancerous Trumpist and GOP moral vacuum seems the whirlwind the West is about to inherit.
You left out Brazil. The current standard bearer of democracy in the Americas. I'm guessing Canada would handle a coup the right way but I haven't seen it yet
This would be a terrific speech.
"Democracy is not exclusive to Europe. It belongs to all people." And this: "Today, the people of Taiwan and South Korea carry the banner of freedom on the other side of the world."
Thanks for keeping your eye on the prize: preserving democracy and fighting authoritarianism.
Also Japan.
yes!
So Marco Rubio spoke about blood and soil in Munich? Has he no knowledge of history or is he trying to lay the groundwork for Hitler 2.0?
To answer your question, from what I saw of AOC at the conference, she excelled in expressing herself clearly, despite having difficulty making up answers to gotcha foreign policy questions about which she knows little or nothing. She's interested in social democracy in Europe and, of course, in the United States where it's under daily extreme assault by Trumpian know-nothings. (correction: they do know about money, not earning it but squeezing it out of individuals and corporations that have it in abundance).
Putting aside foreign policy questions about which she knows little or nothing, AOC does have a fine understanding of what it means to not be a millionaire, much less a billionaire, in a society that is being speedily re-engineered on a racist white supremacy basis to exclude everyone else. Hence her natural affinity for the victims of Russia's imperialistic invasion of Ukraine.
And AOC is far more genuine than Marco, and that does come across to anyone who cares to listen.
AOC needs to up her game on foreign affairs. Plenty of Democrats understand foreign affairs.
I'm disappointed if AOC demurred on China-Taiwan issue. Taiwan is a far more decent government than mainland China's, and it is under constant threat, so AOC should in no uncertain terms pledge her support for Taiwan.
Indeed.
She came to a security conference with no answers on or understanding of basic issues of security.
She's not running for country-wide office at this point and apparently had other things in mind at the security conference, which allowed her to present another and blessedly non-Trumpian view of the United States and the aspirations of most Americans. Quite a difference from the way Rubio tried to soft-pedal the vileness of Trump and Vance.
And she got a heck of a lot of positive publicity and showed European leaders that we're not all vile or crazy. Too bad that some major American media focused on her lack of viewpoint on security issues. In terms of foreign policy, however, she got across to the Europeans that Trump and his regime have gone out of their way to alienate that there is a future to the Atlantic alliance - once Trump is gone.
I was disappointed by her whining about being rejected by her party. All I could think is no wonder. She is kind of a one-note samba. Gavin Newsom was good, though.
Does Rubio actually believe his own rhetoric, or is he just trying to placate his White House master? Senator Rubio would give Secretary of State Rubio a few choice words.
My guess is that he tries his hardest to placate his mob boss, and that every other word out of his mouth is BS.
Rubio and the Trumpists don't much care about the rest of the world, despite their posturing. MAGA's enemies are Americans who do not fall in line. And as they've proven in Minneapolis, they are fully ready to kill those Americans who peacefully oppose them.
MAGA is as much an enemy to world as it is to USA.
Many people associate "American leaders" as being strong, capable, committed to the rule of law, and defenders of equal justice under the law. Many Americans believe it is important to stand up for your allies and help defend them against attacks. Many Americans see the care-giving of the people of Minneapolis as representative of America's shared values.
Sadly, the trump regime has shown that a large portion of America does not believe in or contribute to that vision. The regime tells us money and power to bully others is all that matters. They say THEY represent Americans, but they only represent their personal gain. They do not believe in helping others - they believe in winning by abusing.
What would a "real" American say in Munich? Depends on which group of Americans the speaker represents. Rubio represented the trump regime and their beliefs and his message was received in kind. The American people symbolized by the people of Minneapolis and the phrase "We the People" do not have one leader, one false "god". We recognize that to enjoy the rule of law, freedom, peace, and prosperity, we depend on and trust in one another. That extends to our international friends and countries who share those values.
My heart breaks for Ukraine and the trump's diminishing of U.S. support in their battle. My heart breaks for the residents of Minneapolis, LA, Portland and so many cities in the U.S. assaulted by trump and Stephen Miller's hatred with full Republican complicity. I am not looking for a savior-leader that can take us out of this disaster. I am hoping and trusting we, the majority of the American people, will band together to save our country and once again extend the hand of hope and friendship to others.
The Americans who support ICE excesses in Minneapolis also don’t give a hoot about Ukraine. Not our problem.
And if they do give a hoot, they really do think Putin "makes the trains run on time" and that Zelensky is a "globalist puppet".
Right!
I was with you every step of the way until the final sentence of the penultimate paragraph: " If Russia, China, and their ilk use the United Nations to burnish their reputations, then we must build something new: a League of Democracies, as proposed by the late Senator John McCain, to draw a sharp line between good and evil and to tell our shared, democratic story on our own terms."
We should not create a new institution. We should expand and strengthen existing ones, recommitting them as entities composed of democracies and committed to democracy -- NATO, the European Union, the Trans Pacific Partnership (or whatever we are calling it). The EU should be a more integrated and unified entity with closer relationships with the US and the Pacific democracies. The same is true for NATO. Build with what we've got. Len Lubinsky, Len's Political Notes
That would be a pretty good speech.
But I don’t think it addresses the threats to liberal democracy from within our own houses. The public on both sides of the Atlantic are frustrated with our democratic governance. It’s not providing effective solutions on growing our economies, responding to climate change, managing migration and immigration, or creating fair conditions for workers. And so authoritarian and authoritarian adjacent parties have been on the rise, if not fully winning elections.
If those of us who are committed to liberal democracy want to defeat the internal threat and make the investments to defeat the external threats, we need to do a better job of solving our domestic problems and preparing our young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
There is a world of difference between Rubio and AOC. The former is a seasoned political player with a known record on foreign policy and defence. Since the rise of the Trump regime, he has shown himself to be the ultimate disgusting hypocrite, Trump brown-noser, and uber-opportunist whose only guiding principle is how to pave his way to the White House in 2028.
Agree or not with AOC, you can't accuse her of hypocrisy and opportunism. She is a politician, though, with ambitions to ascend. Perhaps even to the presidency. She is taking her first baby steps in foreign policy and defense and is bound to limp here and there. She is on a learning curve. She is popular with segments of the voting public and is definitely charismatic. In my view, it is too early for her to run for the top, and she should work to gain the knowledge and experience needed. A successful run for the Senate (for example) would probably do her a world of good and possibly prepare her for the higher hurdle.
WE the People Are Witnessing A Nazi Republican Takeover
Four months after becoming Chancellor in 1933 Hitler literally burned down the Reichstag(German equivalent of Congress) and essentially became the dictator of the country Today according to the Nazi Republicans SAVE Act you must provide documentary proof of citizenship — a U.S. passport, a birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, or a Real ID that specifically denotes citizenship. Your driver’s license? Doesn’t count The law also disenfranchises many female voters who have taken their husband’s name, requiring them to provide a birth certificate(many cannot locate theirs) or a passport(80% don’t have one)
This coupled with a nationalized vigilante challenge(bit.ly/41UelTx) in their back pocket, the Nazis are putting a full scale assault on the American voter WE the People can fight this with awareness of this Nazi attempt and urging everyone of our friends, neighbors, relatives, and family to vote early to avoid being disenfranchised as a registered voter
Republicans call it the Unitary Executive) Cheeto tried to burn down Congress on J6 2021 but with that effort failing, he and his Nazi allies are taking a different approach by nullifying registered voters
The SAVE Act essentially disenfranchises millions of registered voters in the country by the demand of “voter ID” “Who could argue about a voter ID law?” one would ask Under this SAVE Act in order to register to vote
The Democrats have no positive vision to present. They don't need Reagan's "Morning in America" , but they have to come up with something more inspiring than , "At least we aren't Trump". At this point they are mostly against things with little clarification on what they are for other than vague , meaningless slogans and "promises". It's as if they are afraid of offering a view of America that will upset their perpetual grievance contingent. Their fixation is more on darkness than light.
I think that the Democratic Party is divided on whether to try to "reform" establishment routines, or make needed serious corrections (such as abolish DHS and ICE). USA is under increasing threat of losing representation in government, so foreign policy seems to have been forgotten (except on Israel).
This is a good read and I think a balanced critique of both Rubio and AOC. The thing that galls me about Rubio is that the Rubio of six or seven years ago would have known what the right thing to say was, and I would have assumed he actually believed it. But the Rubio of today cares only about access to power, not about making the world a better and safer place. He has shown himself to be an empty suit who believes in nothing other than maintaining his proximity to power.
I view AOC as more of a work in progress. Security is not really her forte and she needs to immerse herself in the topic. I don't view her as seasoned enough to be president, but don't rule out the possibility that someday she will be. I think Rubio has completely disqualified himself to ever be president. JFK was a young president and as a senator was far from being a policy heavyweight. But he had come of age during WWII. His father had so hated the British that he was kind of neutral between the West and Hitler. Joe Kennedy was a defeatist and didn't want America to help Britain. But JFK came out of the war with an understanding of the unique role that the US could play. As Eisenhower before him had been, he was skeptical of some warmongers in the Pentagon, but he also understood that weakness in the face of Soviet tyranny would make us less safe. We need to find the proper balance. Europe needs to take more responsibility for their own security and I think that Europe needs to have its own nuclear capability seperate from the UK and France or relying on a completely unreliable US. Europe needs to stregthen its defense and defense manufacturing ties to the democracies of the Asia-Pacific region. NATO needs to assume that the US is an unreliable and untrustworty ally going forward. America will always be just one election away from falling into autocracy. I want the US to be a trustworthy ally, but nobody can really trust that we will be.
Hi Mr Kasparov,
Perhaps you know Ms Kaitlan Collins well enough to suggest she ask Trump the following:
“Imagine you were being confronted by a powerful person demanding you offer concessions to someone who had stolen real estate from you and, in the process, had killed, injured a few of your family members.
Would you grant them concessions, Sir?”
Thank you
I would so love to see that! [...but she would likely lose her job].
I supported Harris (anyone but Trump) and they are asking for support again but I am withholding support until they show me a better messaging. Which is what I think you are saying too.
AOC Shapiro, just a few, tell us who you think would be good, anything is better, then the nazi MAGA Right, right?
Mr Kasparov, I didn't hear AOC's speech but I have high regard for your honesty. Also I can believe that AOC would "stick to her guns" of focussing on her usual brand of criticizing USA internal policy and avoid talk on foreign policy.
This is rather unfortunate because while her concern regarding oligarchs is indeed an international issue, so are many other things she chose to demure on. I would expect that such weakened her message.
Is it just a dream that AMERICA, it's instutions now gutted, it's leadership sold to the highest bidder, will ever again be the world's democratic statesman?
More the nightmarish and cancerous Trumpist and GOP moral vacuum seems the whirlwind the West is about to inherit.
You are so correct and it proves that the free world is correct in feeling threatened by MAGA.
You left out Brazil. The current standard bearer of democracy in the Americas. I'm guessing Canada would handle a coup the right way but I haven't seen it yet