NYT: Rubio called on the West to accept the culture of conquest as part of its civilization
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the West to stop apologizing for its ancestors and revive the era of conquest in order to maintain its dominance in the world. Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great are Washington's new landmarks. I was truly inspired by Greece.
Edward Wong
In Greece, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Western countries should adopt the early ethos of exploration and conquest as part of their civilization in order to remain "at the head of the world."
In the middle, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Western countries to renew civilization in order to maintain dominance in a world of wars, economic uncertainty and technological change.
"Today we are at a crossroads," Rubio said in Athens, with the Acropolis and Parthenon bathed in golden sunset light behind him. — The next decade will write the history of the next century. The course we choose will determine whether the West will maintain its leading position in the world or accept a future of decline, slavery and degradation. We will either choose to act now, or we will lose the very opportunity to act."
Rubio's speech revealed the ideological foundations of the American conservative movement, whose adherents see Trump as a leader.
Some ideological inspirers of the movement argue that citizens of the United States and Europe should not apologize for choosing their ancestors, including exploring and conquering other peoples and lands. On the contrary, they say, it is necessary to adopt that former ethos, because countries are looking for a preponderance in competition with China and other non-Western powers.
The men of ancient Greece, Rubio said, "knew there was nothing selfish or wrong with being loyal to your nation or protecting its interests above all else. They firmly believed in the ideal of a great man, an outstanding personality who gains immortality through his deeds."
Rubio's visit to Greece was the focus of a three-country tour and the second time he made the continent a stage for an ideological speech.
The remarks in Athens echoed a February speech in Munich, where he spoke about the possible "civilizational erasure" of Europe. However, he did not use the seditious phrase in his new speech — it was taken by far-right nationalists seeking strict restrictions on immigration.
As in Munich, Rubio praised the empire builders — Alexander the Great, who conquered "the whole known world," Julius Caesar, Charlemagne and Hernan Cortez, whose troops overthrew the Aztec rulers of Mexico.
Rubio also spoke about the crimes of the Persian army that sacked Athens 2,500 years ago, and mentioned the "legendary last battle of the three hundred Spartans" at Thermopylae.
With these references, Rubio adopted the rhetoric of conservative commentators, who during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan emphasized the heroism of the Spartans in the face of "predatory warriors of another civilization."
Later, he attacked the "radical mullahs of Iran," a country in the land of ancient Persia.
He further linked the quest of ancient Greece with the "architects of the European Christian world" and the colonial settlers who embodied the "spirit of conquerors of the American open spaces." "We believe that Europe can wake up from a long sleep and rekindle the fire that burned in it thousands of years ago," he said. "States must have the ability to use force when prudence and diplomacy prove ineffective."
Rubio, being the son of Cuban immigrants, criticized Western governments for "opening our borders," he also touched on the topic at a press conference on Wednesday morning, calling for increased cooperation between the United States and Greece in limiting migration.
"Greece is also our close strategic partner in the field of security, fighting mass migration, transnational crime and related threats,— Rubio said, standing side by side with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. "We do not want the cradle of the West to be threatened by bad decisions, actions, or inability to respond to challenges."
Gerapetritis told reporters that Greece is trying to respond to the "challenges" of "mass migration."
Rubio also praised the country for spending at least 5% of GDP on defense, a guideline that Trump demands from all NATO allies.
Rubio is scheduled to fly to Portugal on Thursday, the third stop of the tour, which began in Iceland. After the press conference, he visited the US Embassy, where he was introduced by Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former lover of Donald Trump Jr.
One of The Wall Street Journal's investigative reports raises questions about a possible conflict of interest in connection with Guilfoyle's involvement in Greek energy deals. Democratic leaders in Congress are demanding an official hearing. When the relevant question was raised at the press conference, Rubio said he would not discuss them publicly, and praised the work of the ambassador's wife, who was sitting next to him.
