In what some analysts are calling U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s finest speech of his career, the former Florida senator called out on Thursday the dangerous and destructive radicalism of extremist groups determined to undermine and upend longstanding moral truths rooted in human dignity and the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Speaking at the State Department before representatives from 66 countries at a ministerial meeting on political violence, Secretary Rubio pledged that the Trump administration would be devoting more resources and renewed attention to fighting these acts of terrorism.
“More than 80% of radical violence is now driven by far-left anarchist actors,” he told those gathered. “These are not abstract statistics. Americans have seen what those numbers mean: An all-out assault on our immigration officers, sniper attacks, explosives, armed ambushes, a transgender shooter opening fire on Catholic elementary school students as they pray, his gun marked with slogans like, ‘Where is your God now?’”
He went on to remind the audience that it was this same radicalism that led to the public execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, multiple assassination attempts on President Trump, and the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
“This is a distinctive and unique evil,” declared Secretary Rubio. “It has always been driven by a hatred, above all else, a hatred for civilization itself. It is a revolt of the worst against the best. A revolt of the weak and the cowardly against the strong and the good. It is perpetrated by those who cannot build, who cannot create, who cannot achieve great things, and take their revenge upon the world for their own inadequacy by seeking to destroy those who can.”
He continued:
Secretary Rubio then sought to knock down the popular myth that these various ideologies are rooted in idealism. For example, he says it’s a false claim that communism sounds good in theory, but actually simply doesn’t work. The claim that communism does not work is true, but the claim that it sounds good in theory is dead wrong.
“It is not utopian,” he noted. “In fact, it is the opposite. … Communism does not sound good in theory. The world that it envisions, for all of us, is small. Flat, gray, leveled of all exception, drained of all that is good and noble in the human soul. The world that it envisions is a world without courage, a world without creativity, or ambition, a world without heroes, or glory, or great causes to strive towards.”
Secretary Rubio reminded the audience that those who advocate for these destructive ideologies strive for a world without God. They despise and resent achievement because it reminds them of what they haven’t done, aren’t doing, or will ever accomplish.
“They despise the West because the West is great,” said Secretary Rubio.
What comes next?
When it comes to getting a hold on the spread of these dangerous ideologies, Secretary Rubio committed to share actionable intelligence with other countries in exchange for them reciprocating in kind. He also reemphasized America’s policy of expelling bad foreign actors and keeping out those who clearly want to do our nation harm by tearing down our democracy and implementing these ideologies.
Scripture regularly reminds us that effective leaders speak clearly and truthfully – and encourage and inspire others to do the same. Said the prophet Isaiah, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary” (Isaiah 50:4, ESV).
As Christians, we should continue praying for our leaders, including Secretary Rubio. Wise leaders know the times – and the best ones of all continue to seek God and His wisdom as they serve.
Photo from Getty Images.
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