U.S. President Trump, who is facing second impeachment and losing Twitter, has been silent recently, but his loyalist and Secretary of State Pompeo has taken the opportunity to brush his sense of existence.
On the 9th, the official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan were relaxed. On the 10th, the Houthi in Yemen were threatened to be listed as a foreign terrorist organization.
On the 11th, Cuba was declared a “supporting terrorist country” again after more than five years.
Pompeo, who is almost a “big move” a day, is believed to be accumulating political capital for himself while laying mines for the Biden administration. He also shows the lower limit when he lies.
At a time when the mob attacked Congress’s “Shame of American Democracy” aftereffects, Pompeo came to the door on the 11th to guide the “Voice of America” who took government money to report more about the United States as “the greatest country that human civilization has never heard of”. On the 13th, Pompeo will visit Belgium, but the European media do not seem to be enthusiastic about his ” curtain call”.
The Dutch New Rotterdam Business probably said the reason for this cold attitude: “The departure of the worst Secretary of State in American history” is a relief, and the international community will have the opportunity to free itself from a major source that threatens world peace and stability.
“End a disastrous career with more belligerent lies”
Legend has it that in 64 AD, a fire broke out in Rome, countless houses were burned down and people were displaced. At that time, Emperor Nero of the ancient Roman Empire climbed the tower and watched the fire while playing the piano and reciting poems.
Historians dispute the details of the legend, but the English idiom “fuming the harine while burning the city of Rome” has been used to describe irresponsible acts in those crises. Former Indian diplomat Badra Kumar wrote in the Hong Kong Asian Times on the 11th that Pompeo seemed to feel that his opportunity had come when upset Trump was anxious at the White House.
His performance at the end of his term really reminds people of Nero in ancient Rome.
Following the announcement on the 10th that it planned to list the Houthi in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization, Pompeo overturned the Obama-era decision on the 11th and announced that Cuba would be reclassified as a “pro-terrorism country”.
CNN reported that Pompeo claimed that Cuba had long provided asylum for terrorists and supported international terrorism, but did not provide any evidence. Biden had promised to continue Obama’s efforts to improve the relationship between the two Cold War opponents. Biden’s inauguration is only eight days away, and this decision may hinder his plans to normalize relations between the United States and Guru.
Cuban Foreign Minister Rodríguez tweeted on Monday, denouncing the move by the United States as hypocritical political opportunism. On the 12th, Zhao Lijian, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that China firmly opposes the political repression and economic sanctions imposed by the United States against Cuba in the name of counter-terrorism.
Even Democratic Senator Leahy said: “In fact, terrorism in the United States poses a much greater threat to Americans than Cuba.”
During his speech at the National Press Club of the United States on the 12th, Pompeo made another article on the Iranian issue. According to AFP, he claimed that Iran, the enemy of the United States, has become the new “base camp” of al-Qaeda, which is worse than Afghanistan. This statement has been questioned by experts.
Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif soon posted a tweet to sarcastically that Mr. “we lie, cheat, steal” is sadly ending his disastrous career with more belligerent lies.
“Sanctions on Cuban commercial banks on January 1, 17 entities related to Iran’s metal industry on January 5, condemn Vietnam on January 7, and lift restrictions on official US-Taiwan exchanges on January 9…” As Badra Kumar said, look at the website of the U.S. State Department to know how crazy Pompeo was at the end of his term.
Make America look like a “stupid giant out of touch with reality”.
The Associated Press said that Pompeo and his senior aides were eager to accomplish what they believed would consolidate the “political legacy”. Foreign Policy reported that the Trump team made a series of major policy adjustments at the last minute to lay political mines for Biden, which U.S. officials privately described as “cheap dump diplomacy”.
Door-to-door lesson “Voice of America”: report less about “America’s evil”
On the 11th local time, Pompeo visited the headquarters of the Voice of America in Washington and delivered a speech. The U.S. Capitol Hill website reported that this was the Secretary of State’s first public speech after the dark day after the U.S. Congress was hit by mobs.
But instead of mentioning this atrocity, he urged the Voice of America to advocate “American exceptionalism” and not just stare at “all wrong things in our great country”.
“This is the greatest country in the history of the world, and the greatest country unheard of by human civilization.” Pompeo personally demonstrated, “You are not broadcasting such news.” He taught the media to promote the Voice of America, not the evil of America.
According to NPR, before Pompeo visited the headquarters of the Voice of America, employees of the media complained that Pompeo’s speech during the epidemic was putting them at risk and wasting government resources seriously, which was purely political propaganda.
Last year, Voice of America was accused by the White House of not “telling American stories” because it affirmed China’s anti-epidemic efforts in its report, but often spoke for American opponents.
On the 11th, Pompeo warned the Voice of America again: “This is by no means a place to give Beijing or Tehran a platform for these regimes.” After his speech, he also interacted with Bob Riley, director of the Voice of America, and attacked Chinese policies and the Communist Party of China.
On the same day, he continued the lie on Twitter, saying that “the Communist Party of China is the greatest threat to the United Nations”. Zhao Lijian satirized Pompeo on the 12th, and his ability to weave lies and reverse black and white reached its peak in order to spread the political virus.
VOA reporters were banned from asking questions at the event of the day.
After the speech, someone shouted questions at the scene, and the live signal was quickly interrupted. The Washington Post reported on the 12th that VOA senior female reporter in charge of White House reporting, Vendakuswara asked loudly as Pompeo was about to leave the building: “Mr. Secretary of State, what have you done to rebuild the reputation of the United States in the world? Do you regret saying there will be a second Trump administration?”
Later, a person familiar with the matter revealed that Vedakuswara was transferred from his original post. The Washington Post said that compared with the theme of Pompeo’s speech, it was quite ironic.
“Trep-A-A-Trep Tour” was coldly opposed
Pompeo will visit Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on the 13th and 14th. According to Reuters, he will meet with NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg and the Belgian Foreign Minister, but will not visit the EU headquarters.
According to a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, this will be Pompeo’s last overseas trip. But his ” curtain call” did not attract much mainstream media attention in Europe on the 12th.
According to the German News Agency, Pompeo’s visit to Europe obviously wants to emphasize the enduring importance of the transatlantic partnership. However, ironically, the U.S. government announced on Monday that it would formally impose tariffs on products such as aircraft manufacturing parts in France and Germany from the 12th.
The European Union said it would seek a quick solution from the incoming Biden administration. The Associated Press said that Pompeo was given a cold reception at the EU headquarters after Trump decided to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement.
This time, the embarrassment is that many Western leaders condemned the impact on the U.S. Congress. Stoltenberg, who Pompeo is going to meet this time, called Washington “shocking” and urged the Trump administration to respect the election results.
Germany’s weekly Focus commented that Pompeo’s last overseas trip was not important, but was very symbolic. Observers generally believe that Pompeo is ambitious to participate in the 2024 presidential election and is amassing political capital for the future.
According to The New Yorker, Pompeo treats the job like a future presidential candidate, entertaining wealthy patrons such as Republican strategists such as Rove and former Goldman Sachs CEO Belankfan at the regular “Madison Dinner”.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Pompeo changed from Trump’s skeptic to a diehard, and eventually became one of the most “Trump” in the Trump cabinet – actively promoting the president’s “America First” agenda, imitating the rhetoric of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and flouting the norms followed by his predecessor.
GOP staff said Pompeo was carefully planned to be elected as Trump’s successor in the 2024 Republican primary. But Trump’s election defeat disrupted this calculation and put the Secretary of State’s political future a question mark. To Pompeo’s sadder even more, Trump’s hint that he will run again in 2024 will force loyalists like Pompeo to stand aside.
