Amidst global crises from the Iran war to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is presented not as a diplomatic heavyweight, but as a dangerous enabler of Trump's 'brute US power' doctrine. The article questions his principles and warns he could be more problematic than Trump himself, despite opportunities to resolve major conflicts.
The world faces escalating crises, including the unresolved Iran war, the ongoing Ukraine conflict, and tensions in Israel-Gaza, all while Donald Trump's foreign policy is seen as failing. In this volatile environment, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is positioned as a key figure, yet the article critically portrays him as a political chameleon lacking consistent principles and acting as Trump's 'dogsbody.' Rubio is described as favoring 'brute US power' and imposing 'take-it-or-leave-it solutions' rather than engaging in traditional diplomacy, a stance labeled as a 'modern form of imperialism.' He's criticized for outsourcing crucial negotiations, avoiding direct involvement in peace talks, and promoting a hawkish doctrine of US primacy that dismisses allies 'shackled by guilt and shame' about their imperial past. The article highlights Rubio's inconsistent political record, from being a China hawk to now toeing Trump's line, and his efforts to dismantle international institutions. Despite having a unique opportunity to resolve major conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, and Iran, Rubio is deemed unlikely to act, instead enabling Trump's worst instincts and providing 'pseudo-intellectual respectability to far-right fantasies.' The author concludes that Rubio's potential to become Trump's successor, coupled with his willingness to neglect his duty and facilitate dangerous policies, makes him 'the most dangerous man in the US administration after Trump himself.'
