Pompeo Boasts ‘The West Is Winning!’ at Munich ‘Westlessness’ Conference

Feb. 15, 2020 (EIRNS)—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his fellow West Point side-kick Defense Secretary of Defense Mark Esper probably thought they were at the Munich Security Conference to read the Riot Act to recalcitrant “internationalists.” The State Department titled Pompeo’s speech, “The West Is Winning,” a clear attack on the theme of “Westlessness,” as this year’s conference was titled.

Pompeo asserted that “Western values” would prevail over China’s desire for “empire.” “I’m happy to report that the death of the Transatlantic Alliance is grossly exaggerated. The West is winning, and we’re winning together,” he gloated. Regarding empire, Pompeo said that Russia’s 2014 so-called “annexation of Crimea,” cyber threats in Iran, and economic coercion by China, showed that all three countries were still “desiring empires” and seek to destabilize the “rules-based international system.” Pompeo no longer refers to “international law,” such as the principles in the UN Charter, which the U.S. had broken regularly under Bush, Obama, and still today, but only “rules-based order,” meaning whatever rules he chooses.

He reiterated his perennial, hysterical tirade on China and on Russia, pinpointing them as the key enemies of the West. And how did he indicate that the West has “won?” He pointed to the success of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, the last two of which, would probably have winced at being including, as both focus on creating good relationships with Russia and China.

Pompeo ended by relating a recent visit to a Ukrainian hospital to visit the wounded in the fight with their fellow (albeit Russian-speaking) Ukrainians. Pompeo gushed that as he was about to leave, one of the patients ripped off a unit badge from his uniform jacket to give him. Moved by this gesture, Pompeo didn’t clarify if the soldier was a member of the Ukraine armed forces fighting on the Ukrainian side or a member of one of the Ukrainian fascist units also fighting the Russians on behalf of “the West.” Perhaps he had better see which this was before he hangs it up in his office. But for Pompeo, it probably doesn’t really matter. While his speech may have been well received by any yahoos in the Munich audience, for most of them and back here at home, it left a bad taste in their mouths.