Vice President JD Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference was nothing less than an intervention with a friend. It didn’t go well.

Foreign policy “experts” on both sides of the Atlantic condemned Mr. Vance’s impertinence. Elitists are elitists, regardless of residence. Rarely right but never in doubt, they were once again wrong. Mr. Vance was not signaling that America was turning its back on Europe.

Mr. Vance was asking if Europe had America’s back in the new Cold War.

Throughout the 20th century to the present, the United States has both inspired and aided our European allies, politically, economically, and militarily. It has not been a one-way street, but a mutually beneficial alliance.

Mr. Vance, then, is not suggesting the end of America’s partnership with Europe. It would be shortsighted and suicidal during our mutual struggle against our strategic enemies.

Instead, Mr. Vance challenged European elitists to abandon distrust of their own people and to trust in democracy.

In the years following the Soviet Union’s defeat, a new strategic contest has arisen against an alliance of authoritarianism comprised of communist China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, South Africa, et al.

In this new existential struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, the United States will necessarily be recalibrating its comprehensive national power toward the Indo-Pacific theater.

Further, increasing amounts of America’s time and treasure are required to counter the authoritarian axis’ diplomatic, economic, political, and military penetration of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

In light of these new strategic realities, including revanchist Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, our European allies must take on more responsibility for defending freedom and democracy on their side of the Atlantic (and, hopefully, where possible, in other theaters).

It was necessary, then, for Mr. Vance to brusquely conduct his intervention, calling upon European elitists to return to universal verities and to champion and defend the innate dignity, liberty, and equality of every human being.

Mr. Vance knew he was asking his question to a European elite seemingly more bent upon denying democracy than defending it. Hence, he chose free speech to stand his ground. It is one of humanity’s inalienable, God-given rights, which no human’s hand can grant or extinguish. It is also the kryptonite of tyrants. There is no sure sign of creeping despotism than the erosion of free speech.

Our enemies in this new Cold War reject liberty and democracy. Note how one, the communist Chinese regime, brazenly proclaims liberty the enemy of prosperity and security. It is understandable, as the overarching aim of the Chinese Communist Party—and all authoritarians—is to remain in power.

Moreover, a critical component of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) unrestricted warfare to seize hegemonic dominance over the Free World is driving the narrative that democracy is antiquated and destined to fail. They assert the PRC is a rival model of government that should be emulated by others, and the rest of the world is watching to see whether the PRC and its cohorts or the Free World are right.

Now, ponder Mr. Vance’s remarks:

“The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China. It’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America [italics mine].”

Mr. Vance explicitly states the paramount bond Americans and Europeans share. It is not a desire for territory or spoils. It is a commonality of immutable principles. First and foremost, then, America must be able to rely upon Europe to uphold, defend, and advance—to practice—these democratic principles in the face of our authoritarian enemies.

Should Europe emulate authoritarian governments’ distrust of their peoples and deny their liberty and dignity, it will commence the autumn of the West.

Thus, as Mr. Vance readily admitted, the danger of democracy’s decline is not just a European problem:

“The crisis this continent faces right now, the crisis I believe we all face together, is one of our own making. If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you” [italics, mine].

This passage has confused Mr. Vance’s critics. It is not a threat to depart but a recognition of fact: what could America compel an unwilling Europe to do?

Equally, this passage is also an implicit realization that, if European democracy decays, America will be in dire strategic straits.

Should a Europe united in democracy, liberty, equality, and prosperity—a shining paragon of freedom for the world to aspire to and emulate—be extinguished by its own elite’s hands, the rest of the waiting, watching world will view it as concrete evidence democracy is doomed. These nations will then be drawn into the orbit of the authoritarian axis.

Such an authoritarian Europe would not have America’s back. We would become increasingly wary that our erstwhile European allies are undermining our vital national interests by allying and colluding with the repulsive regimes they are increasingly mirroring.

The American public will oppose subsidizing the defense of governments that infringe or deny their citizens’ rights and, ultimately, impair our own national security. And, make no mistake, if the continent again erupts in conflict, it will be impossible to convince the American people to send their children to fight and die in yet another European conflagration brought about by its failed elites.

America will do its best to stand alone and intrepid, incessantly besieged by our implacable authoritarian enemies. Unlike England when it stood alone against the Nazi war machine, there will be no United States to ride to the rescue. Mr. Vance’s intervention was a failure; his question went unanswered. America will have lost our closest, dearest, most trusted friend.

Then, forever linked in the annals of history, America and Europe will be recorded as having won the Cold War, only to lose the Freer World we birthed due to our own refusal to practice the democracy we preach and once prized.

Or we could just get our act together, kick ass in the new Cold War; and win the damn thing again.

That’s the answer Mr. Vance—and all Americans—want to hear from our European friends.

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An American Greatness contributor, the Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter (M.C., Ret.) served Michigan’s 11th Congressional district from 2003-2012, He served as Chair of the Republican House Policy Committee and as a member of the Financial Services, Joint Economic, Budget, Small Business, and International Relations Committees. Not a lobbyist, he is also a contributor to Chronicles; a frequent public speaker and moderator for public policy seminars; and a co-host of “John Batchelor: Eye on the World” on CBS radio, among sundry media appearances.