But in an administration full of people willing to act like social media trolls, Rubio stands out for being serious. But just because Rubio made a serious argument, that doesn’t mean it was wholly persuasive. In Rubio’s story, America and Europe embraced policies in the 1990s that amounted to the “managed decline” of the West. Armies fight for a people; armies fight for a nation. Armies fight for a way of life.”I agree with some of this — to a point.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 18, 2026 14:01 UTC