The newly elected vice-president of the United States, JD Vance, recently stunned Europe with what The Guardian called a “blistering attack on Europe’s leaders”. Vance spoke at the latest Munich Security Conference, where he was expected to focus on the war in Ukraine and the NATO-backed project to undermine Russia.

Unexpectedly, Ukraine and Russia were not the primary focus of this provocative speech. More awkwardly, Western Europe’s perceived shortcomings were. Vance argued that Europe’s greatest threat did not stem from external actors like Russia or China but from “Europe’s own internal retreat from its most fundamental values”.

Another Guardian article claimed, “The Trump administration is making a big bet on Europe’s hard right”, adding that Vance had delivered what amounted to a campaign speech against Germany’s sitting government shortly before an election.

Vance was exceptionally blunt, bearing in mind the standard protocols governing an event like this. Worse still, for his critics, his controversial arguments were clearly articulated. Moreover, one was sharply on the mark. Vance argued that the recent annulment of the Romanian elections took place “on the basis of weak suspicions from an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors”, adding: “When we see European courts annulling elections and senior officials threatening to annul others, we should ask ourselves whether we are holding ourselves to a high enough standard.”

Imagine, though, if Vance had opted to be equally candid about the shortcomings of the US political system. Here is a draft of a sharply clarifying addition to the original pugnacious speech.

“Let me complete this presentation with a frank US overview. First, there are virtually no limits today on how much supporters can spend on electioneering in America. In 2024, almost $16 billion was spent on all federal election campaigning, including $5.5 billion spent on the presidential race.

“Next, I should stress how one single voter, Elon Musk, spent $277 million supporting the Trump campaign, after which he was swiftly appointed as a new audit czar by Mr Trump with extraordinary power to probe, pry, and slash federal operations and spending, regardless of the obvious big-dollar, conflict-of-interest risks.

Unexpectedly, Ukraine and Russia were not the primary focus of this provocative speech. More awkwardly, Western Europe’s perceived shortcomings were. Vance argued that Europe’s greatest threat did not stem from external actors like Russia or China but from “Europe’s own internal retreat from its most fundamental values”

“Third, allow me to highlight America’s bipartisan embrace of the industrial scale application of presidential pardons to release even hardened criminals from jail and to shield relatives and political comrades from possible legal action.

“Next, I should note how we can: shut down prosecutions to look after new friends like the mayor of New York, commence wholesale (sometimes revenge-based) sackings within the federal civil service, organize cowboy-style round-up deportations, and authorize major reductions in the flow of federal funds into research, social support, and advocacy programs that we do not endorse.

“I also want to highlight how Washington is now ramping up its hostile posture regarding international law in general — with conspicuously bitter antagonism directed toward the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, to protect our genocidal friends in Israel.

“After witnessing our recent tempestuous wielding of tariffs, exceptional intimidation of Greenland, Denmark, Panama and Colombia, coupled with our ‘Gulf of America’ renaming initiative, some critics have argued — persuasively, I must admit — that our fresh geopolitical creativeness is substantially based on a primary Hollywood-Western problem-solving mantra: ‘Shoot first and ask questions later!’

“Finally, let me note that there is de facto, bipartisan agreement that appointments to the immensely dominant US Supreme Court have long been heavily shaped by the political stance of these highly qualified appointees, which is certainly set to continue.

“These examples provide a candid snapshot of how we govern ourselves in America. This is a complex system, which some think is rather warped. Frankly, it cannot really be reformed or rectified. But we are accustomed to it, and it works very well for some of us. Indeed, it ensured that I was handily elected as vice-president with an eye on running for president in 2028.

“To be honest, I do not recommend that you emulate our perverse approach.

“Thank you for your attention.”

The author is an adjunct professor in the faculty of law, Hong Kong University.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.