Darrell Castle talks about President Biden's commencement address to the graduating class at the United States Naval Academy last Friday and how his address reflects American foreign policy and the future service of those young Navy Ensigns and Marine Second Lieutenants as they go forth to project American power around the world.

Transcription / Notes

SCREAM LOUDLY AND CARRY NO STICK AT ALL

Hello this is Darrell Castle with today’s Castle Report. This is Friday the 3rd of June in the year of our Lord 2022 and in this Report, I will be talking about President Biden’s commencement address to the graduating class at the United States Naval Academy this past Friday, May 27th as well as how that address reflects American foreign policy and the future service of those young Navy Ensigns, and Marine Second Lieutenants, as they go forth to project American power around the world.

I can’t begin this Report without reminding you that tomorrow June 4th is the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. That battle fought in the dark and desperate early months of World War ll changed the course of the War and the course of history in general.  Due to the sacrifice and courage of all those naval officers and men of the U.S. Navy, Japan’s ultimate defeat became inevitable, but it took three more years of bloodshed and atomic horror before they would accept it.

The President of the United States celebrated Memorial Day by delivering the commencement address to the graduating officers at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on Friday May 27th. I’m not going to indulge you by making tired jokes about his slurred delivery, his confusion, his inability to pronounce words or to say the correct words because all that is old news now. He did make some terrible gaffes and he did continue his creepy habit of leaning over the podium and whispering. He did do a lot of literal screaming when talking about Russia to these young officers.

 What he did not say was to me, far more important than what he did say. Just on a brief inventory he did not mention the 80th anniversary that I just discussed. It would have been a perfect time to tell them that a worthwhile goal for their naval careers would be to just begin to live up to the courage and sacrifice of those men at Midway. Most of these officers will undoubtably be posted to the Pacific where there is a growing threat of war with China thanks to his loose lips. He threatened war with China over Taiwan when answering a reporter’s question in Japan. Would the U.S. military come to the aid of Taiwan in case of a Chinese attack? Yes, he said that’s our commitment.

I wonder if he is so far gone that he doesn’t know that is not our commitment and never has been, unless of course he has changed it and was just announcing the change. He undid about 46 years of American policy and relative peace with China with one sentence. What is the most important job of a U.S. President? One might argue that it is to prevent nuclear war. This man seems unaware of that job requirement and is increasingly willing to roll the dice with Russia and China. Another thing he could have told the graduates is that you are going in harm’s way, and you will be the tip of the spear delivering your aircraft and its ordinance where needed. China is a big problem now, thanks to my leadership and so, a lot will be demanded and expected of you, but I know you are up to it, and you have had the best training in the world to prepare.

None of that was said of course, nothing to bolster them and to uplift them for the many years of service, apart from loved ones, that lies ahead of them. Instead, he chose to make the occasion about him instead of them. I’m certain he is unfamiliar with Teddy Roosevelt’s line from which I drew the title of this Report. Walk softly and carry a big stick the Bull Moose famously said. By that line Roosevelt was emphasizing that diplomacy is the correct way to conduct international re...