US House Speaker Johnson: West will only survive if countries prioritise national interests

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

February 17, 2025 6:44 AM EST Updated 12 hours ago


LONDON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Republican U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday the "survival of the West" depended on countries prioritising their own national interests before extending a helping hand to their neighbours.

Speaking via video link at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London, Johnson argued the U.S. could only maintain its "strength and leadership" if its foreign policy was centred on its national interests. "It's a matter of common sense for each of our countries to acknowledge that we must each take care of our own houses before we help take care of the neighbourhood," Johnson said.

"As we seek to make America safer, stronger and more prosperous, we will encourage all our friends and allies to do the same in and for their own countries. "The survival of the West will depend upon that." Johnson did not specifically reference Ukraine in his remarks.

His remarks come after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a day earlier that Ukraine and Europe would be part of any "real negotiations" to end Moscow's war. Rubio played down European concerns of being cut out of initial talks between Russia and the United States in the coming days.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-speaker-johnson-west-will-only-survive-if-countries-prioritise-national-2025-02-17/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Time in office is their greatest asset. The more time they waste in disagreement the better. /nt

[CanonRay]

2. Stupid and short sighted

[Sessuch]

9. Johnson's "common sense" is called Jingoism

[BOSSHOG]

29. When a conservative says common sense

It’s an admission that they have no solution to a problem they don’t understand. Taking care of your global neighbors is taking care of yourselves. Johnson would give tax cuts to billionaires in Our country by starving babies in The Sudan. That’s conservative common sense and it’s Republican Christianity. Imagine Mike, what would Jesus do?

[Walleye]

3. That attitude is pure bullshit. Still thinking of the United States is a piece of real estate.

They have no concept of problems and diseases that easily cross international borders

[BOSSHOG]

26. I remember in Baby Bush's administration

A dust up about air and water pollution relative to states rights and laws. The deciding argument was on the agreement that air and water cross state lines. Astonishing conservatives.

[Leghorn21]

4. FUCK RIGHT OFF, YA LITTLE FREAK

[poli-junkie]

5. So in other words butt out of our

strong-arming Ukraine

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Where is this stand all together or fall individually? This guy sticks his foot in his mouth every day I swear.

Neighbors help neighbors. Goes to show you how selfish the repugs are (they are selfish towards EVERYBODY, countries, people, you name it). No wonder no one pays attention to what the repugs want or are screaming about, it just goes to show their true selfish self. Pathetic.

[Evolve Dammit]

7. Psst Johnson...We were doing fine until you election denier assholes showed up. PS. Fuck off.

[Linda ladeewolf]

30. Yes!

A tiny little black mustache would suit his trollish little face.

[surfered]

8. Glad he wasn't in a meaningful position in 1939.

[kerouac2]

10. Yes, because all the campers

At Chrystal lake did great when they broke away from the group.

[Basso8vb]

11. Dumbfuck says what?

[sakabatou]

12. "We're for ourselves... except for our monetary backers."

*Putin rubs his hands in evil glee*

[AZJonnie]

13. The 'beauty' of this bit of sophistry

is that the phrase "take care of our own houses" is nebulous to the point of nonsensical. When talking about a huge country of 300M+ people, 'the house' will literally never be 'taken care of', not even close. Thus, this statement is exact logical and functional equivalent of saying 'fuck all the rest of y'all'.

[johnnyfins]

35. Absolutely. I got mine, and fuck y'all.

[Itchinjim]

14. Welcome back, 1914.

Same isolationism, same stupidity.

[70sEraVet]

15. I hope that when Johnson's house catches fire....

His neighbors just watch to make sure that the fire doesn't spread to THEIR houses.
These days, it's not 'It takes a village' -- now it's 'It takes a village idiot'.

[johnnyfins]

36. PERFECT ANALOGY

The bullshit of Mikeroscopic Johnson's words lies in the fact that the Repugs are NOT taking care of the United States' house(not house of reps). They dont give the slightest shit about the American People. Even their own voters.

Mikeroscopic Johnson = FAKE CHRISTIAN

[Progressive dog]

16. Yeah,

Trump needs the Panama canal, Greenland, Canada, and Gaza before he worries about our allies. He needs tariffs on everyone and everything because selling stuff is the same as stealing money and he wants the money back.
We have never had a stupider President and Johnson seems to be stupider than Trump.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

25. Canada IS (for now) your ally. . . .nt

[eppur_se_muova]

17. The survival of the West was NEVER in danger, until idiots started voting for wannabe Dictators like Turnip.

"Looking out for national interests" is the EXCUSE authoritarians use for eliminating the rights of their citizens. It's people like Turnip (P-himself), Mush (N-ZA), Putin, Orban, Netanyahu, and their slimy ilk who are the danger. They pass themselves off as saviors to the most profoundly gullible -- and fearful -- segments of their population, who outvote others who hesitate to act quickly enough.

[Baitball Blogger]

18. We were doing just fine until the Republicans fucked everything up.

[Initech]

19. We're not prioritizing national interests. We're taking them backwards.

Oh and interesting use of "the west" there, Mikey. Are you on Putin's payroll? That seems like a fact worth knowing!

[JohnSJ]

20. The only way the west will survive is when this administration and the thugs in Congress are thrown out of office.

[DallasNE]

21. Who Is In Charge In This Administration?

Nobody seems to know what the other has said. Or are they all floating trial balloons to see what plays best. Whatever, it is leaving the impression of complete chaos.

Yesterday, VP Vance said Europe will not be part of the negotiations over the Ukraine war. Today Rubio says Europe will be part of any real negotiations. Or is this all part of the art of the deal Trump uses to define the process?

One thing I know is that when somebody feels compelled to state, "It's a matter of common sense," it is anything but common sense.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

22. Mighty Xtian of him

[Tarzanrock]

23. Small Johnson -- one more lickspittle Turd "yes" man.

Stay out of "foreign policy," Quisling. Foreign policy is way above your pay grade -- in fact, it's way above your lunch money. Go home and watch some "porn" with your kid.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Single minded focus on "America First" leads to "America Alone"; very bad for economies to be alone . . .nt

[LearnedHand]

27. So the House Speaker sets foreign policy now?

Huh. What about that.

[vapor2]

28. His national interests are muskrat and 47

AND he calls himself a Christian.

[enigmania]

31. He's always been a shitheel.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/13/mike-johnson-creationist-beliefs-clash-with-climate-facts

[DSandra]

32. i.e. Lets go back to European countries and other countries going to war with each other!

A world full of selfish people is a brutal world.

[Baitball Blogger]

33. You know what these idiots are doing?

They are giving up our super nation status.

This is isolationism.They're going further back than the 1950s.

[Solly Mack]

34. Fart noises

[Renew Deal]

38. I have a feeling that his comment will not age well

[swong19104]

39. Hey Speaker Johnson

our foremost national priority is a stable international order. Once that is somewhat in place, all other issues can be easily addressed. Indeed, most of our domestic issues can be easily addressed by doing just one thing: tax the bejeezus out of everyone having a net worth greater than $15 million. And that includes all the highly paid pro-athletes, actors and actresses, singers and other musicians (you know, liberals).

And then use that tax to fund all the needed services to help the impoverished, indigent, ill, and despondent people in the country. As well as migrants coming to the US for asylum or opportunity.

[Skittles]

40. more proof his "faith" is a bunch of fucking nonsense

is that he learned in church?

[DetlefK]

41. Counter-argument: The EU exists.

In the EU, countries help each other and everyone is better off as a result. The United Kingdom had Brexit and immediately ran into TWO minor recessions, plus a massive reduction in geopolitical power.

[4catsmom]

42. we were doing just fine

until you put that psycho in charge

[Hotler]

43. Our Christian Taliban promoting selfishness. nt

[Old Crank]

44. Putin speak

for divide and conquer.

[Martin68]

45. Wrong. The West will only survive, as we have since WWII, through cooperation.

[NotHardly]

46. Another jumped-up bought & paid for traitorous slug

[malthaussen]

47. Which history tells us again and again is exactly the wrong approach.

The weird thing is that it doesn't work on the micro level, either, as any politician would clearly know. Networks of support and influence are the only way to succeed in politics, in business... and in foreign relations.

So the only thing to conclude about this statement is that he is knowingly lying in his teeth.

-- Mal

[KPN]

48. Survive what?! Oh yeah, the invasion of the screaming wombat MAGAs! "Accept, support and do what we say or

we'll burn the entire country down!"

Nevermind that you're already doing that asshole.

[Swede]

49. Putin is all smiles.

nt