On Sunday, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared on CBS’ “Face The Nation,” where host Margaret Brennan noted that Russia, Iran, and China were using the images of the riots in American cities as proof of a racial divide in America. Brennan then asked, “Do you see this racial divide as a national security threat to us?”
In a blistering response, Rice utterly rejected the concept that those countries and Europeans who lambast the United States had any moral leg to stand on. Rice stated:
I would say to those, particularly, in places like China and Russia and Iran, who may want to use this for propaganda, let’s not be absurd. This is not Tiananmen Square where you’ve mowed down people who disagreed with the government. This is not the invasion of Crimea where you took land from your neighbor. This is not the Green Revolution in Iran where you killed people wantonly because they wouldn’t agree with the theocratic government.
And I would even say to our friends abroad, in places like Europe, where I’m seeing demonstrations in support of what is happening here, thank you for your support, but please look in the mirror. Please ask yourself, in countries in Europe and countries all across the world, what are you doing about racial and ethnic in — inequality in your own circumstances?
She continued, “America has gotten better because we have been willing to confront our problems. And we’re going to confront our problems again. We’re confronting them now. And I think we will move forward this time. But I — I really don’t need to be lectured by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping about peaceful protest when they have themselves used their own force just because people wanted to criticize the government. That is not is what — that is not what is happening here.”
Rice added, “I’ve heard the President talk about the resilience of Americans. I’d love to hear more of that. Twitter and tweeting are — are not great ways for complex thoughts, for complex messages. When the President speaks it — it needs to be from a place of — of thoughtfulness, from a place of having really honed the message so that it reaches all Americans. And, by the way, not just the President. I would love to hear this from our leaders in Congress on both sides of the aisle. I would love to hear it from mayors and from governors and from others. Leaders at this particular point need to do everything that they can to overcome, not intensify our divisions.”
In May 2018, Rice said of the furor surrounding President Trump’s push ti exit the dangerous Iran nuclear deal, “I don’t think it’s the end of the world if the administration leaves the agreement.” She stated she would not have signed on to the agreement as the Obama administration had, adding that the deal’s verification methods “were not very strong … The administration’s been worried about this agreement from the very beginning and there’s reason to be worried about the agreement.”
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