The United States' European allies have become "a bunch of weenies" on the world stage, and America should reach out to governments willing to stand up to "evil forces in the world," according to House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.
In a wide-ranging speech to the Young America Foundation's annual young conservative conference in Washington on Thursday night, the California Republican praised the leadership in India and Australia, for example, but lambasted Europe during a question-and-answer session.
"You know I hate to say this, but I don't think that our European allies are going to be what balances off the evil forces in the world," Rohrabacher said. "The only people I know who seem willing, who seem gutsy enough to fight, are the Poles, and the rest of the Europeans are a bunch of weenies as far as I'm concerned."
Rohrabacher, who during the nearly hourlong speech touted his "cold warrior" background as former President Ronald Reagan's assistant press secretary, urged the United States to make alliances that will stand up to radical Islam and the rise of Communist China.
"My theory is that the allies, the alliance that is going to save the world in your generation's time is going to be an alliance between the United States, India, Japan — and here's the kicker — Russia," he said.
"Russia will be our friend. You're getting that from a guy who, during the Cold War, killed Russians."
He said that despite the shootdown of a Malaysia Airlines jet by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, China is a bigger threat to the United States than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Putin does some things in Ukraine and everybody is waving their hands but China is committing acts of aggression against the Philippines and against Japan, and nobody says a word," he said.
In a
radio interview last year, Rohrabacher said he once lost to Putin in a drunken arm-wrestling match in the early '90s.
We "started arguing about who won the Cold War, etc., and so we decided to settle it like men do when they've had too much to drink in the pub," he told Southern California Public Radio. "So we got into these arm-wrestling matches, and I ended up being paired off with Putin. He's a little guy, but boy … he put me down in a millisecond! He is tough. His muscles are just unbelievable."
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