The traditions that Rubio invoked, in recalling the alliance’s past, were those of nationalism (a subtle rebuke to the European Union, an open rejection of free trade, and a dismissal of international law), Western civilization as Christian civilization (ignoring not just Judeo-Christian heritage but the roughly 25 million Muslims who live in Europe), and the “unapologetic” mission “to build a vast empire out across the globe.” His speech—at the world’s most preeminent security conference—did not mention Russia, NATO, or China, but instead listed as the West’s biggest dangers “fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology,” and the “mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture, and the future of our people.” To renew our alliance, he said, means to “restore a place in the world” that will “rebuke and deter the forces of civilizational erasure that today menace both America and Europe alike.” She noted (as did Carney, though less pointedly) that the “rules-based order” has always excluded the poor from its benefits and the powerful from its obligations, and mused that, contrary to those who say we’re in a “post-rules-based order,” we might be in a “pre-rules-based order.” The real question, in any case, was “rules for whom.” She advocated a “working-class-centered” policy, in part for its own sake, in part to “stave off authoritarianism.” She supported firm commitment to allies, especially those that share our values on human rights and democracy, and adherence to treaties, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans had signed them.
Author: Fred Kaplan
Published at: 2026-02-17 22:35:32
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