Marco Rubio serves up colonial nostalgia

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State and a bulwark of the Trump administration, gave a “disquieting” imperialist speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday to deflect from the Epstein files fallout.

Journalist Ben Norton called the speech “a blatant call” by the US empire to resuscitate Western colonialism and recolonise the Global South.

Marco Rubio peddles neocolonialism

Rubio appealed to the UK far-right by explicitly crediting “English settlers” for America’s language, political system, and legal framework. He also appealed to German nationalists by praising “German farmers and craftsmen” for building the American heartland and jokingly upgrading beer quality.

Our story began with an Italian explorer whose adventure into the great unknown to discover a new world brought Christianity to the Americas – and became the legend that defined the imagination of a our pioneer nation. Our first colonies were built by English settlers, to whom we owe not just the language we speak but the whole of our political and legal system. Our frontiers were shaped by Scots-Irish – that proud, hearty clan from the hills of Ulster that gave us Davy Crockett and Mark Twain and Teddy Roosevelt and Neil Armstrong.

Our great midwestern heartland was built by German farmers and craftsmen who transformed empty plains into a global agricultural powerhouse – and by the way, dramatically upgraded the quality of American beer.

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The reaction to Rubio’s imperial nostalgia and his thirst for a new wave of colonisation has been swift and daming.

Lebanese-American journalist Rani Khalek damned Rubio for American exceptionalism:

Author Joe Guinan warned that the U.S. is building a neo-fascist movement in Europe:

Former Indian diplomat Kanwal Sibal stated that the speech was effectively a declaration of war against the non-Western world:

Professor Matteo Capasso quipped: “Average proud representative of Rubio’s ‘civilization’ speech in Munich,” tagging a picture of disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein:

Academic Dan Kervick called for resistance to the growing fascism.

UK’s Rubio Also Drumbeats War

Starmer, the UK’s gutless fraud, called the US an “indispensable power” in his Munich speech on the same day.

The US remains an indispensable power. Its contribution to European security over 80 years is unparalleled. And so is our gratitude.

At the same time, we recognise that things are changing. The US National Security Strategy  spells out that Europe must take primary responsibility for its own defence. That is the new law.

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Starmer’s subordination to the US was clear. He told Europe it must be “ready to fight” and “stand on our own two feet” – not as an independent strategy, but as a response to US demands:

Starmer also appeared to target the UK Green Party’s ambivalence towards NATO. He dismisses those who question NATO or the US alliance as “peddlers of easy answers… on the extremes of left and right” who are “soft on Russia” and “weak on NATO.”

In the 1930s, leaders were too slow to level with the public about the fundamental shift in mindset that was required.

So we must work harder today to build consent for the decisions we must take to keep us safe.

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Because if we don’t, the peddlers of easy answers are ready on the extremes of left and right and they will offer their solutions instead.

It’s striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia. Weak on NATO. If not outright opposed. And determined to sacrifice the relationship we need on the altar of their ideology.

How did the right wing respond?

A MAGA fan account celebrated Rubio receiving a standing ovation in Germany after telling Europe to return to Christianity and oppose migration from the Global South:

Reform’s mayoral candidate for Hampshire endorsed the Telegraph’s take on the speech, which recommends listening more to Rubio:

The lesson – Reform and Labour are both endorsing Rubio’s “fascist supremacist manifesto” lecture. The Western ruling elite is openly baying for a return to its colonial heyday.

Rubio has clearly intended for his speech to signal to those already on the far-right that if they back the US, their colonial ambitions will see fruition. And, his speech purposely misses out one central fact: colonialism never left. The US’ imperial ambitions, from Venezuela to Gaza have been clear to see. Western powers are still extracting resources, dominating cultural production, and wielding the seemingly irrepressible power of unaccountable militaries.

This isn’t just colonial nostalgia. It’s rewriting the very reality of the present; colonialism never left.

Featured image via the Canary