In a recent address to the United States Naval Academy's graduating class, Vice President JD Vance underscored the challenges and responsibilities that lay ahead for the young officers.
Vance emphasized that they were stepping into a "new and very dangerous era for our country," with formidable adversaries such as China and Russia "determined to beat us in every single domain."
According to Fox News, the Vice President delivered his speech in Annapolis, where he highlighted the Trump administration's shift in U.S. foreign policy. Vance assured the graduates that the era of "undefined missions" and "open-ended conflicts" was over. Instead, the administration was pivoting towards a strategy rooted in realism and the protection of core national interests.
Vance stated, "Were turning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting our core national interests. Now, this doesnt mean that we ignore threats. But it means that we approach them with discipline and that when we send you to war, we do it with a very specific set of goals in mind."
He reminded the graduates of the post-Cold War era when America enjoyed an unchallenged command of the commons -- airspace, sea, space, and cyberspace. However, he warned that the era of uncontested U.S. dominance had ended. Today, the United States faces serious threats from nations like China and Russia, who are determined to outdo the U.S. in every domain.
Vance also took the opportunity to critique past U.S. administrations, accusing them of prioritizing nation-building and meddling in foreign countries affairs over national defense and maintaining alliances. He argued that this approach often involved countries that had little to do with core American interests.
The Vice President further criticized the country's past leadership for trading hard power for soft power, which led to the U.S. ceasing to manufacture everything from cars to computers to weapons of war. He attributed this shift to a misguided belief that economic integration would naturally lead to peace by making countries like China more like the United States.
Vance lamented, "Over time, we were told that the world would converge toward a uniform set of bland, secular universal ideals regardless of culture or country. And those that didnt want to converge, our policymakers would it make it their goal to force them by any means necessary."
He also pointed out the costly mistakes made by previous administrations in underestimating the challenges of building new democracies in the Middle East. He emphasized that the U.S. must not only be smarter but also ensure that troops are equipped with the right tools when sent to war.
In his concluding remarks, Vance highlighted the Trump administration's commitment to investing in innovation, rewarding risk-takers at the Department of Defense, and streamlining weapons acquisitions for the new century. He reiterated, "We can no longer assume our engagements will come without cost."
The Vice President's speech served as a sobering reminder of the challenges that lay ahead for the young officers and the nation as a whole. It also underscored the Trump administration's commitment to a more realistic and focused approach to foreign policy, one that prioritizes national interests and prepares the military for the challenges of the 21st century.
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