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In Normandy, France, President Joe Biden gave a speech today to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, when more than 150,000 American, British, and Canadian soldiers began the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. The invasion was far from a guaranteed success, and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was in command of the operation, had a speech prepared in case the invasion failed, taking full responsibility and saying any blame for the failure “is mine alone.” He never had to give it.
Biden was joined by France’s President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and before his speech, he and Dr. Jill Biden met one-on-one with several of America’s last surviving D-Day veterans. In addition to the D-Day vets whom he singled out in his remarks, some 170 American WWII veterans attended the ceremony, most of them needing wheelchairs, many of them more than 100 years old now.
Biden said to the veterans in the audience, “On behalf of the American people and its Commander in Chief, it’s the highest honor to be able to salute you here in Normandy. All of you. God love you.” And you could tell he meant it.
Here’s video of Biden’s speech, in which he drew parallels between Europe in 1944 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine today, warning that “democracy is never guaranteed.”
And while Biden never mentioned his opponent in this fall’s election, he repeatedly spoke about the importance of the US remaining true to its alliances, which that other guy has less than no use for.
After praising the courage and sacrifice of those who fought to take Normandy and to free Europe, Biden turned to the theme of the “unbreakable unity of the Allies,” saying that “What the Allies did together 80 years ago far surpassed anything we could have done on our own. It was a powerful illustration of how alliances make us stronger, a lesson that I pray Americans never forget.”
Biden went on to note that the NATO alliance has continued to expand from its postwar membership, emphasizing that our alliances make America stronger. He could have added “Are you listening, Republicans?” but he didn’t really have to; it was well-implied.
And in a very clear rebuke of Republicans who want to let Ukraine fend for itself, Biden added, “Isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago, and it’s not the answer today.”
Biden said that Ukraine should know that NATO and the US “will not walk away” — while leaving unspoken the possibility that if Trump regains power, that’s almost a dead certainty. He warned that if Ukraine falls, “all of Europe will be threatened”:
“The autocrats of the world are watching closely to see what happens in Ukraine, to see if we let this illegal aggression go unchecked. We cannot let that happen. To surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable.”
In words you can’t imagine Trump even reading off a teleprompter, let alone taking seriously, Biden closed with a question:
“In their hour of trial, the Allied forces on D-Day did their duty. Now the question for us is, in our hour of trial, will we do ours? […] Will we stand for freedom, will we defend democracy, will we stand together? My answer is yes, and it only can be yes.”
It’s quite a contrast to the guy who, on the centenary of the end of WWI, blew off a visit to an American cemetery near Paris because it was raining, and who we later learned asked his advisers, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.”
After all, what do soldiers get out of “serving” their country? They died, or were maimed, or even if they were uninjured they missed out on the chance to get rich. No wonder he considers veterans “suckers.”
Let’s say it again: Even if you’re skeptical of patriotic talk about war being a necessary sacrifice for high ideals, we’ll take Joe Biden, alliances, and messy democracy over Donald Trump, who thinks only of himself, and if he thinks of America, wants to know only what we can take from other nations.
UPDATE: Per Alert Wonkette Operative “JamesSmith,” this incredible video of an American WWII vet meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
Veteran: “You’re a savior of the people”
Zelenskyy: “No no, YOU saved Europe.”
Doktor Zoom: “Fuck you, I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying.”
OPEN THREAD.
[White House / CBS News / Politico]
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