Rubio celebrates Western exceptionalism, warns that civilization is at an 'inflection point'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that he has "no plans at this time" about a potential 2028 presidential run and doesn't know "what the future holds.""He is still young, and smart in both policy and politics, and is keeping his options open for the future," one person familiar with the matter recently told NBC News. "If you asked him if he’s interested in 2032 or 2036, he would probably say sure." 'We must win together.'While America's top diplomat — who recently polled third among potential candidates favored by Republicans for 2028 — is supposedly uncertain about what course he will personally chart in two years, he is confident about what direction America must take in the here and now.In a speech Wednesday at the Acropolis in Athens, Rubio emphasized the imperative for America and other Western nations to unapologetically pursue national power; prioritize their own people; cease feeling guilty for being exceptional; and reclaim the "classical understanding" that "power requires not only having the means to defend yourself; it requires the credibility that you are willing to use it."With the Parthenon as his backdrop, Rubio buttered up the Greeks by emphasizing the influence that their forebears had on America and, more broadly, on Western civilization."The history of America, the history of my country, is covered with the fingerprints of antiquity," said the secretary.After first alluding to the architectural, linguistic, narrative, philosophical, and political influence that the ancient Greeks had on America and its people, Rubio noted, "The civilization of Athens and Rome transformed an infant seaboard republic into a continental empire."RELATED: Keeping the West’s flame burning "The greatest Americans of every generation have carried the unmistakable features of their forefathers," he continued, "born in Athens, formed by Rome, baptized in Christendom, hardened in the furnace of medieval Europe, endowed with the English genius for liberty, and then carried across the Atlantic to be reborn on the shores of a new world."The secretary's speech was, however, about far more than tying former Greek excellence to continuing American excellence.Rubio underscored that America and the "whole of our civilization" are at an "inflection point" — that "national interests did not vanish in the face of international institutions"; that peace is not inevitable; that there is renewed competition between great powers and a "whole universe of new threats" that must be addressed; and that it is critical now, more than ever, to rebuild institutions and alliances.The secretary has been discussing various bilateral and multilateral alliances including NATO on a European tour that landed him in Athens on Wednesday.During a joint press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis held just prior to his speech at the Acropolis, Rubio said that "the nations of Europe need to take on a greater share of the burden in defending their continent" and that Greece is on track to satisfy its minimum NATO obligation. He noted further that the U.S. and Greece have signed a memorandum of understanding establishing a joint security program to bolster binational counterterrorism information-sharing and that Greece is joining the National Guard's Bureau of State Partnership Program.Rubio noted in his speech — which was reminiscent of his Feb.14 "civilizational erasure" speech in Munich — that the purpose of such alliances "is not to abolish the sovereignty of the nations that constitute them. It is to defend them. And nations need not abandon their distinct identities in order to recognize their common interests." "We want to win together," said Rubio. "We must win together."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!