Trump's Warsaw Speech : He Put on the Mantle of Charlemagne

THE REAL NEWS OF THE YEAR -- PRESIDENT TRUMP'S WARSAW SPEECH. The Warsaw speech, "Remarks by President Trump to the People of Poland, July 6, 2017," is available at < https://www.whitehouse.gov/.../remarks-president-trump-people-poland-july-6-2017 > • • • TRUMP PUT ON THE MANTLE OF CHARLEMAGNE. In Krasinski Square, Warsaw, Poland, on July 6, 2017, President Donald Trump became the Charlemagne of 21st-century Christendom. In what will forever be called Trump's "Warsaw Speech," he challenged the West to defend its Christian values and its territory. He called for Western Civilization to stand up for itself in the face of those who are determined to destroy it. Charlemagne conquered and ruled much of Europe (c. 742 to 814). He brought peace, learning, and Christianity with his rule and was the first Holy Roman Emperor, charged to defend Christianity against all comers. Much has changed in the 1,300 years since Charlemagne watched over Europe, but his wisdom and Christian faith are still an example for the West. He said : "Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must know what is right." In his defense of the West on July 6, Donald Trump echoed the faith and vision of Charlemagne. • • • THOSE WHO HATE THE WEST. Much has been made of the religious, overtly Christian, theme of Trump's Warsaw Speech by the Progressive media and political commentators. While Trump’s Warsaw Speech was widely acclaimed -- the President warned Russia about continuing by its actions to destabilize the world, he praised the Polish resistance during World War II as a model for cultures fighting existential threats -- the Progressive Globalist media -- including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and The Atlantic -- labelled the speech white nationalist, anti-Moslem, and anti-immigrant. • The Washington Post opinion piece from editorial board member Jonathan Capehart, “Trump’s white-nationalist dog whistles in Warsaw,” saw Capehart lamenting over Trump's touting Western accomplishments with the line, “We write symphonies." Capehart asked : "What on Earth does that have to do with anything?...what I heard was the loudest of dog whistles. A familiar boast that swells the chests of white nationalists everywhere.” • The Atlantic published an article called “The Racial and Religious Paranoia of Trump’s Warsaw Speech,” by Peter Beinart, who said : “In his speech in Poland on Thursday, Donald Trump referred 10 times to ‘the West’ and five times to ‘our civilization.’ His white nationalist supporters will understand exactly what he means. It’s important that other Americans do, too...The West is a racial and religious term.” Beinart added that what links American and Polish governments ideologically “is their hostility to Moslem immigration....The most shocking sentence in Trump’s speech -- perhaps the most shocking sentence in any presidential speech delivered on foreign soil in my lifetime -- was his claim that ‘The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive.’ Trump’s sentence only makes sense as a statement of racial and religious paranoia. The ‘south’ and ‘east’ only threaten the West’s ‘survival’ if you see non-white, non-Christian immigrants as invaders. They only threaten the West’s ‘survival’ if by ‘West’ you mean white, Christian hegemony.” Beinart accused Trump of not speaking as president, but instead “speaking as the head of a tribe” -- There, we have the Progressive Globalist view of a declining West that needs to be cut down to size and conquered by non-Christian, non-democratic terrorists • The LA Times termed Trump’s ideas “ethnocentric” and called his description of threats from terrorism as “a thinly veiled reference to the Islamic world.” The Week called the address a “dark vision of America” and criticized his word choice : “While Trump said the word ‘freedom’ 15 times during his speech...he did not once speak of ‘democracy.' ” • • • THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND GINGRICH UNDERSTAND. The Wall Street Journal editorial called it a "defining speech" -- and a "determined and affirmative defense of the Western tradition." And, historian and student of all things politic that he is, former GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich said : “I thought the speech was historic." Gingrich praised President Trump for “defending Western civilization by name” against Islamic terrorism and “secular bureaucratic tyranny." Newt Gingrich got it right : “It’s a remarkably important speech.” • • • THE WARSAW SPEECH TEXT. The White House cite to the full text of the Warsaw Speech is above. Here is an excerpted version : "We've come to your nation to deliver a very important message : America loves Poland, and America loves the Polish people. The Poles have not only greatly enriched this region, but Polish-Americans have also greatly enriched the United States....It is a profound honor to stand in this city, by this monument to the Warsaw Uprising, and to address the Polish nation that so many generations have dreamed of : a Poland that is safe, strong, and free....On behalf of all Americans, let me also thank the entire Polish people for the generosity you have shown in welcoming our soldiers to your country. These soldiers are not only brave defenders of freedom, but also symbols of America’s commitment to your security and your place in a strong and democratic Europe. We are proudly joined on stage by American, Polish, British, and Romanian soldiers....To the citizens of this great region, America is eager to expand our partnership with you. We welcome stronger ties of trade and commerce as you grow your economies. And we are committed to securing your access to alternate sources of energy, so Poland and its neighbors are never again held hostage to a single supplier of energy....Poland is the geographic heart of Europe, but more importantly, in the Polish people, we see the soul of Europe. Your nation is great because your spirit is great and your spirit is strong. For two centuries, Poland suffered constant and brutal attacks. But while Poland could be invaded and occupied, and its borders even erased from the map, it could never be erased from history or from your hearts....Poland lives, Poland prospers, and Poland prevails. Despite every effort to transform you, oppress you, or destroy you, you endured and overcame. You are the proud nation of Copernicus, Chopin, Saint John Paul II....And you are a people who know the true value of what you defend. The triumph of the Polish spirit over centuries of hardship gives us all hope for a future in which good conquers evil, and peace achieves victory over war. For Americans, Poland has been a symbol of hope since the beginning of our nation. Polish heroes and American patriots fought side by side in our War of Independence and in many wars that followed. Our soldiers still serve together today in Afghanistan and Iraq, combatting the enemies of all civilization....Our two countries share a special bond forged by unique histories and national characters. It’s a fellowship that exists only among people who have fought and bled and died for freedom. The signs of this friendship stand in our nation’s capital. Just steps from the White House, we’ve raised statues of men with names like Pulaski and Kosciuszko. The same is true in Warsaw, where street signs carry the name of George Washington, and a monument stands to one of the world’s greatest heroes, Ronald Reagan. And so I am here today not just to visit an old ally, but to hold it up as an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization....Under a double occupation the Polish people endured evils beyond description: the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of this beautiful capital city, and the deaths of nearly one in five Polish people. A vibrant Jewish population -- the largest in Europe -- was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Poland’s Jewish citizens, along with countless others, during that brutal occupation. In the summer of 1944, the Nazi and Soviet armies were preparing for a terrible and bloody battle right here in Warsaw. Amid that hell on earth, the citizens of Poland rose up to defend their homeland. I am deeply honored to be joined on stage today by veterans and heroes of the Warsaw Uprising....more than 150,000 Poles died during that desperate struggle to overthrow oppression. From the other side of the river, the Soviet armed forces stopped and waited. They watched as the Nazis ruthlessly destroyed the city, viciously murdering men, women, and children. They tried to destroy this nation forever by shattering its will to survive. But there is a courage and a strength deep in the Polish character that no one could destroy. The Polish martyr, Bishop Michael Kozal, said it well : “More horrifying than a defeat of arms is a collapse of the human spirit.” Through four decades of communist rule, Poland and the other captive nations of Europe endured a brutal campaign to demolish freedom, your faith, your laws, your history, your identity -- indeed the very essence of your culture and your humanity. Yet, through it all, you never lost that spirit....And when the day came on June 2nd, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope, that day, every communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down. They must have known it at the exact moment during Pope John Paul II’s sermon when a million Polish men, women, and children suddenly raised their voices in a single prayer. A million Polish people did not ask for wealth. They did not ask for privilege. Instead, one million Poles sang three simple words : “We Want God." In those words, the Polish people recalled the promise of a better future. They found new courage to face down their oppressors, and they found the words to declare that Poland would be Poland once again. As I stand here today before this incredible crowd, this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history. Their message is as true today as ever. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out “We want God.” Together, with Pope John Paul II, the Poles reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God....You stood in solidarity against oppression, against a lawless secret police, against a cruel and wicked system that impoverished your cities and your souls. And you won. Poland prevailed. Poland will always prevail....Now, among the most committed members of the NATO Alliance, Poland has resumed its place as a leading nation of a Europe that is strong, whole, and free. A strong Poland is a blessing to the nations of Europe....A strong Europe is a blessing to the West and to the world. One hundred years after the entry of American forces into World War I, the transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever and maybe, in many ways, even stronger....But today we’re in the West, and we have to say there are dire threats to our security and to our way of life. You see what’s happening out there. They are threats....We are confronted by another oppressive ideology -- one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another....During a historic gathering in Saudi Arabia, I called on the leaders of more than 50 Moslem nations to join together to drive out this menace which threatens all of humanity. We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have. While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind. We are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism, and we will prevail. We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to justify violence against the innocent. Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests. To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields. We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself. Finally, on both sides of the Atlantic, our citizens are confronted by yet another danger -- one firmly within our control. This danger is invisible to some but familiar to the Poles : the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people. The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies. Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty. We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are. If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our courage, sap our spirit, and weaken our will to defend urselves and our societies....we know that these forces, too, are doomed to fail if we want them to fail. And we do, indeed, want them to fail. They are doomed not only because our alliance is strong, our countries are resilient, and our power is unmatched....Our adversaries, however, are doomed because we will never forget who we are. And if we don’t forget who are, we just can't be beaten. Americans will never forget. The nations of Europe will never forget....The world has never known anything like our community of nations. We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers. We reward brilliance. We strive for excellence, and cherish inspiring works of art that honor God. We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression. We empower women as pillars of our society and of our success. We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives. And we debate everything. We challenge everything. We seek to know everything so that we can better know ourselves. And above all, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom. That is who we are. Those are the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a civilization....what we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we cannot fail. This great community of nations has something else in common : In every one of them, it is the people, not the powerful, who have always formed the foundation of freedom and the cornerstone of our defense. The people have been that foundation here in Poland...right here in Warsaw -- and they were the foundation from the very, very beginning in America. Our citizens did not win freedom together, did not survive horrors together, did not face down evil together, only to lose our freedom to a lack of pride and confidence in our values. We did not and we will not. We will never back down. As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our future. Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests. That is why my administration has demanded that all members of NATO finally meet their full and fair financial obligation. As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO....billions and billions of dollars more are coming in from countries that, in my opinion, would not have been paying so quickly. To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment. Words are easy, but actions are what matters. And for its own protection...Europe must do more. Europe must demonstrate that it believes in its future by investing its money to secure that future. That is why we applaud Poland for its decision to move forward this week on acquiring from the United States the battle-tested Patriot air and missile defense system -- the best anywhere in the world. That is also why we salute the Polish people for being one of the NATO countries that has actually achieved the benchmark for investment in our common defense....the example you set is truly magnificent, and we applaud Poland. Thank you. We have to remember that our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will. Because as the Polish experience reminds us, the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail and be successful....The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it? We can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons anywhere on Earth, but if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive. If anyone forgets the critical importance of these things, let them come to one country that never has. Let them come to Poland. And let them come here, to Warsaw, and learn the story of the Warsaw Uprising....about Jerusalem Avenue. In August of 1944, Jerusalem Avenue was one of the main roads running east and west through this city, just as it is today. Control of that road was crucially important to both sides in the battle for Warsaw. The German military wanted it as their most direct route to move troops and to form a very strong front. And for the Polish Home Army, the ability to pass north and south across that street was critical to keep the center of the city, and the Uprising itself, from being split apart and destroyed. Every night, the Poles put up sandbags amid machine gun fire...to protect a narrow passage across Jerusalem Avenue. Every day, the enemy forces knocked them down again and again and again. Then the Poles dug a trench. Finally, they built a barricade. And the brave Polish fighters began to flow across Jerusalem Avenue. That narrow passageway, just a few feet wide, was the fragile link that kept the Uprising alive. Between its walls, a constant stream of citizens and freedom fighters made their perilous, just perilous, sprints. They ran across that street, they ran through that street, they ran under that street -- all to defend this city. “The far side was several yards away,” recalled one young Polish woman named Greta,...“The mortally dangerous sector of the street was soaked in the blood. It was the blood of messengers, liaison girls, and couriers.” Nazi snipers shot at anybody who crossed....Their soldiers burned every building on the street, and they used the Poles as human shields for their tanks in their effort to capture Jerusalem Avenue. The enemy never ceased its relentless assault on that small outpost of civilization. And the Poles never ceased its defense. The Jerusalem Avenue passage required constant protection, repair, and reinforcement, but the will of its defenders did not waver, even in the face of death. And to the last days of the Uprising, the fragile crossing never, ever failed. It was never, ever forgotten. It was kept open by the Polish people. The memories of those who perished in the Warsaw Uprising cry out across the decades, and few are clearer than the memories of those who died to build and defend the Jerusalem Avenue crossing. Those heroes remind us that the West was saved with the blood of patriots; that each generation must rise up and play their part in its defense; and, that every foot of ground, and every last inch of civilization, is worth defending with your life. Our own fight for the West does not begin on the battlefield -- it begins with our minds, our wills, and our souls. Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital, and demand no less defense, than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once totally rested. Our freedom, our civilization, and our survival depend on these bonds of history, culture, and memory. And today as ever, Poland is in our heart, and its people are in that fight. Just as Poland could not be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph. So, together, let us all fight like the Poles -- for family, for freedom, for country, and for God. Thank you. God Bless You. God bless the Polish people. God bless our allies. And God bless the United States of America. • • • EU ELITES MAY HATE TRUMP, BUT EUROPEANS STAND WITH HIM. In its July 9 RendeView section, the UK's Daily Telegraph published a critique of the Warsaw Speech by Miranda Devine, who began by writing : "IF you doubted Donald Trump has what it takes to make America great again, and to lead the civilized world against a frightening array of enemies, then you will be heartened by his brilliant Warsaw speech. He briefly named Islamic terrorism as the latest totalitarian ideology which threatens our freedoms. He was tough on Russia, while emphasising shared values....But, most remarkably, he singled out for praise the unique moral virtues of Western Civilization, and referenced God ten times. He spoke of nations being more than the sum of their GDP, with faith in God, family and 'the dignity of every human life' crucial to our survival." And, as would any person who understands the European Union and the struggle of ordinary Europeans to be free of its suicidal globalist goals, Devine explained : "It was powerfully symbolic for Trump to choose Poland to make such a speech before joining the sneering elitists of Europe at the G20, hosted by German chancellor Angela Merkel. It comes at a time when Poland is resisting pressure from the EU to take in a 'quota' from among more than a million asylum seekers, mainly young Moslem men, who have entered Europe from the Middle East and Africa since Merkel opened the borders in 2015. Trump spoke in Krasinski Square, in a city entirely rebuilt after WWII, in front of a monument to 200,000 Poles killed in the heroic Warsaw uprising against the Nazis in 1944....A secret pact between Hitler and Stalin saw Poland invaded by Nazi Germany from the west and the Soviet Union from the east, and then the Allies betrayed Poland to appease Stalin. The defeat of Hitler only plunged the Poles into nearly 50 years of Communist oppression. But with the help of their own saint, Pope John Paul II, Trump said 'the Poles reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God.'....Trump understands that the greatest threat we face is from our own postmodern elites who want to erase the history, tradition and faith of Western civilization, which they find shameful and inconvenient. His speech was a call to arms against the enemy within. 'If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our courage, sap our spirit and weaken our will to defend ourselves and our societies....'I declare today for the world to hear that the west will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph.' As imperfect and vulgar as Trump can be, his genius lies in his ability to create the 'safe space' in which others can pursue freedom. The condemnation shows how important this speech was. It marks either our civilization’s last gasp or the beginning of the renaissance. Which way it goes depends on us." • DEAR READERS, I have not read any American critique of the Warsaw Speech or, indeed of Donald Trump, that goes to the heart of his message, his charisma and his vision better than this piece from the Daily Telegraph, printed in Britain and read by ordinary British people, who, by the way, commented on Devine's article by applauding President Trump as the only Western leader with the guts to speak out against the enemies of the West and of God. • American Thinker's Daniel John Sobieski said of the Warsaw Speech : "President Trump’s speech...in setting the tone for what may be called the “Trump Doctrine”....was not an apology but a full-throated declaration of American exceptionalism and a shared interest with loyal allies, such as Poland, to resist tyranny and terror in all its forms." Trump was also speaking to Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel. Poland is a NATO member that, unlike Germany, has met its NATO commitments. It is also a country that has refused to adopt the European Union’s suicidal policy of open borders. As Reuters reported : "Poland has a moral right to say 'no' to refugees, the country's most powerful politician said on Saturday : 'We have not exploited the countries from which these refugees are coming to Europe these days, we have not used their labor force and finally we have not invited them to Europe. We have a full moral right to say 'no.' " Last month the European Commission launched a legal case against Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic for refusing to take in asylum seekers. Sobieski said : "Poland may be the poster child for extreme vetting. Poland does not accept refugees. Poland also has been devoid of terror attacks spawned in the refugee enclaves that dot the major cities of Europe. Trump’s visit was a clear message to Merkel as was his warning : 'We are confronted by another oppressive ideology -- one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another. We're going to get it to stop.' " • Sobieki concluded : "Trump’s Warsaw speech should be the final nail in the coffin of the Russian collusion fantasy put forward by delusional Democrat losers. His call for defiant resistance to tyrants and aggressors in the country President Obama betrayed as soon as he took office. Trump spoke of Poland acquiring US missile defense assets, where Obama had pulled the rug out from underneath Poland -- on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union's invasion of Poland -- that showed his tone-deaf insensitivity....Putin knew full well Obama’s weakness in responding to any foreign threat to US interests and security. President Obama was the Neville Chamberlain of our time, promising “peace in our time” as he invited war with weakness, apologies, and appeasement. It was he who colluded with the Russians to threaten American national security in the “back channel” conversation with Medvedev which fell victim to an open microphone. President Trump, rather than colluding with Russia, threw down the gauntlet before Putin on Polish soil. The US will resist Putin’s dream of reassembling the former evil empire of the Soviet Union. To this end, we will arm our true allies with missile defense and energy independence. Trump replaced Obama’s “flexibility” with sorely missing American backbone." • As we discussed Monday, the chasm between Pope Francis and all globalists and post-Christian elites and President Trump is ultimately not political but religious. Francis, seemingly part of the global elite, does not share the conviction of President Trump, the American exceptionalist, that “Christian culture" is engaged in a deadly rivalry with Islam -- a “clash of civilizations.” Pope Francis abhors this notion -- religion, which is universal, can never be captured by a national culture; true religion can never be the cause of terrorism and violence. For Francis, all fundamentalism -- whether Christian or Moslem or nativist -- is atheism, and all violence in the name of religion is simply nonsensical. For the Pope, a Christian nation that defends its faith by turning away people in need is not protecting its faith but destroying it. Being true to Christianity requires seeing all as equal creatures of God, whoever they are and whatever they believe. • The critical difference is that while the Pope sees everyone as "children of God," he cannot, or will not, distinguish those who would destroy Western Christianity from those who want to be "children of the West" -- infused with love of God, love of their fellow human beings, and ready to embrace democratic principles. That difference is massively important, for it leads either to the death of the West and Christianity or to the eager defense of God, Christianity and democracy. For, when all is said and done, Christianity and Democracy exist side by side, and along with Judaism, they do not exist and have never existed in any other civilization. That was Donald Trump's message in Warsaw as he put on the mantle of Charlemagne.