mark levin will join us. plus on fox business start smart every weekday 6 - 9:00 a.m. eastern for "mornings with maria" on fox business we hope you will start your day with us every weekday that will do it for us for this weekend thank you for joining me, have a great rest of the weekend. i will see you next tim ♪ ♪ ♪. gerry: welcome to the wall street journal at large politics is mostly performance art these days especially on the left this week we retreated to dazzling displays joe biden gave a speech of the historic symbolic national constitution center in philadelphia he chose the city where the declaration of independence was signed you'll remember that the document produced by what democrats

describe as white supremacists trying to entrench their power, joe biden was warning the very future of the american democracy was now in apparel. >> the 21st century jim crow assault israel, it's relenting the assault on free and fair election is a threat, literally, i said before we are facing the most significant test of our democracy since the civil war, that is not hyperbole, that is the civil war. gerry: what could the threat to democracy become a no hyperbole it turns out his republican led states to tighten the rules how they conducted elections, texas banning drive-through voting or voting in the middle of the night are requiring you to show id before you get a mailing vote just is required to show id before boarding a plane or baseball ticket. according to the president this represents nothing less than a

return to jim crow the most relentless assault on our democracy since the civil war, alongside the president overruled an inflammatory language we had an absurd pay he's of theater by texas legislators. they flew out of the lone star state on a charter private jet pledging their lives in sacred honor to each other in the company of a case of an idea the gang supposedly of the quorum needed to pass the devoted majors. these hugely courageous you to tim's who by the way are being paid a stipend when they fly around the country fueled by a combination of their narcissism in the case of miller light brought to the nation's capital where the theatrics peaked in her performance on the capitol steps. >> we will overcome. >> we will overcome. gerry: you will have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

their ever so lightly to invade anyway they will have to return to texas to be required to do their jobs but that was not the point of the demonstration the point about performance art is a substitute for arguments, theatrical displays replaced facts joe biden takes his friends that the day theater will distract you from reality what's going on in texas and elsewhere is an attempt to bring in order to the disorder of the electoral process. last year democrats in many states and districts around the country took advantage of the pandemic to change the rules on how the country both, they and they were often enabled this by activist judges not even elected officials, they relaxed restrictions on early voting, absentee voting, mala ballet, ballot harvesting where individuals can gather votes from multiple voters and many other questionable practices. it is completely legitimate to establish proper rules that govern how we vote the rules of

the so-called jim crow states are introducing are still more permissive than those obtained in democratic states compared texas to delaware joe biden's own state texas has similar rules to delaware on polling hours, no excuse absentee voting and id requirements and allows more early voting the joe biden states. as we said a show staged by democrats and limited by the media and applauded by an audience of woke corporations. most americans are not easily distracted, domestic politics focused on the performances week we are reminded in some parts of the world politics is a deadly serious business the u.s. is upset about his evils china continues to challenge american power. later in the show we will interview the co-author this is the u.s. is woefully unprepared to deal with the new realities in part because of the obsession

with diversity and wellness. first cuba is back in the news antigovernment protest have a food shortages and high prices in cuba make their way to shores as hundreds of cuban-americans in miami flooded havana demanding more from action against the authoritarian regime of the president. more than 100 people been arrested in cuba or missing following the week in protest, progressives in the united states chooses to blame america first. the organization black lives matter issued a statement saying it was america's cruel and inhumane sanction on cuba that were to blame for the misery, nothing to do with the communist government of course, that is long been the view of many democrats so for the biden of administration has been outspoken with the president expressing support but urging calm this comes after last year's campaign that he would reverse president trump sanction on the country, there were stakes with cuba and florida

watching especially closely. here to discuss is the founder of cuba decide and for pan american democracy rosa maria, thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you so much it is my pleasure. explain why we saw this explosion of protest last weekend, what is behind this? >> people are tired of dictatorship in their commanding freedom and the end of depression and dictatorship and everybody understands to get out of this crisis in which we need to get out. gerry: what is the latest, what is your sense of what is going on we heard about arrest and crackdown in the internet has been cut off and denied but what is the very latest that you are hearing out of cuba - the

protectors it's militarized in their industries dividing neighborhoods from other neighborhoods in the amount of people that disappear and especially young people we know at least 408 members are given to society and right now that's just a portion of their reality because they government regime did the first day and they shut down the internet so the access to information is still serious

and hard with all the data but what we can say essentially all the information that we have about this and the people that have been hurt and all the information is just a portion of the reality. gerry: sorry, tell us you heard probably in this country some democrats talking that is united states fault because congress people say that you are black lives matter say this is u.s. sanctions but it seems to be more america's fault then the fault of the oppressive regime, what is your view about that. >> they were not in the streets demanding more from the embargo it was for the dictatorship, it's very important in this moment not to politicize the situation this is a conflict

between mortars, dictatorship and a whole population demanding more from freedom in this sunday 4000 cities including all the major cities demanding more from freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom from the cuban people in the first of everyone to defend human rights for the people in support of that demand that is human rights right now. gerry: we have to take a quick break, when we come back i want to ask what the u.s. could be doing and what we could be doing doing and what we could be doing to help democracy in ♪♪ when the only thought on your mind ♪♪ is “finally” ♪♪

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protest before in 1994 there were significant protest when fidel castro was empowered and no longer in power, is it different that they were able to deal with the protest and they have been able to keep the lid on the domestic opposition, is this different, do you think? >> it is, this is the whole island demanding more from freedom when we talk about a process in the last sunday it happened on the whole island at the same time as people are protested in the streets and decide the depression and this is the cuban people demanding more from and in and this is the

cuban people sane enough and it's not going to take any less than that demand this is definitive and that is why it's so important of the international community, that's white so important the leadership going to the united states in this world reaction that we needed solidarity with the cuban people. gerry: so far we had words with president biden he was criticized for the communist regime, we haven't seen much action what was it like for the united states is a something practical that can be done anything from helping to restore the internet that we talked about and other majors and support that can be given to the cubans who want to get rid of the communist government, what should the u.s. be doing? >> all of this in the statements that president biden had made so far are very good, it's very important for the cuban people

to have internet access free of censorship and one that the united states can do now in a quick way to give connections to everybody a lot of united states. gerry: very quickly, we have to go give us some exhibits of what you would like to see the u.s. to. >> cut the impunity of the regime and they are calling against the cuban people, don't support all the enterprises of immigration and the cuban regime is shutting down, just ask with south africa and africa we need that leadership to be outstanding to the european

union and latin america and the united states can help us do that. gerry: rosa maria paya, thank you so much you and your extraordinarily brave patriots for what they're doing and what they're trying to achieve in cuba, thank you for joining us. is the u.s. navy in a state of readiness for a war if the need arises, highlighting a crisis in leadership in the navy. leadership in the navy. we will talk about that next. ♪ ♪ ♪ leadership in the navy. we will talk about that next. ♪ ♪ ♪ security at your fingertips. control feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. rush hour will never feel the same. experience, thrilling performance from our entire line of vehicles at the lexus golden

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gerry: troubling questions about the state of readiness of the u.s. navy for war, facing criticism within its own ranks including too much on cultural

and white privilege stuff again, not enough on the core mission of winning battles that seek a new report commissioned by members of congress and based on interviews with 77 current and former navy officers and sailors highlighting concerns that the distracted and handcuffed by bureaucracy shift commanders are micromanaged in a fear of bad publicity more folks the diversity of officers and not enough to work fighting, one lieutenant commented they think my only value is as a black woman if you cut us open will all be the same color. one of the officers of the report retired navy admiral mark montgomery, thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much for having me. gerry: let's start on this issue a hot topic in recent weeks focus of the military seems to have generally diversity and inclusion and let me quote something that you saw on the report one person that is quoting the report seen a retired officer, i guarantee you every unit is up to speed on the

diversity training, i'm sorry i can't say the same of their ship handling training, how serious is the woke problem? >> there is a serious problem with the lack of focus on work fighting and a lot is with the distraction and the minister and a lot of different training requirements, our interviews were done a year end half ago to about six months ago, some of it predicts the new training laid on top and what the sailors and officers were telling us we spend way too much time on this a ministry of training and not a enough on work fighting it's essential once a ship to place to do an operational area like an army battalion goes into iraq, we need a cease-and-desist, ministry of training and focus solely on work fighting. gerry: a general question, how did you get like this the u.s. navy has a long and proud

history of fighting great wars and battles, how did he get in the condition that it said. >> you can trace it back to the cold war, when i was a junior officer and we had destroyers and cruisers we had a labor under laserbeam focus on the soviet navy we understood all the ships and weapons systems and how we would engage their missiles when they came to us there's a laserbeam focus, that was lost after the cold war and we've been very slow to get back on the focus of china and were very specific talking about the surface warfare in the cruisers and destroyers of the navy i think the aviation and submarine committees for number of reasons much to do with investment and financial support are in better shape but the lack of focus is going to put our cruisers and destroyers at risk. gerry: were gonna take a quick break but i know in the report you talk about china being the

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♪ ♪ ♪ hey google, turn up the heat. ♪ ♪ ♪ gerry: i'm back with admiral mark montgomery, we all know that china is our biggest potential threat in the chinese

navy has made in norman strides over the course of the last decade or so for ticketing submarines and its missile capabilities, how do you assess the u.s. overall maritime preparedness and capability to deter china and if it comes to it to deal with direct chinese conflict? >> i first have to say the most import capability of the united states navy in conflict with china is our submarine force and i do think he maintained a significant advantage and that will serve us well is not a world winning capability but it certainly the single largest contributor, the cruisers and destroyers and aircraft carriers will have to come into harm's way and it cost with china used to be a significant war fighting advantage and it's now razor thin in many areas, it's absolutely imperative that our sailors and officers be trained to the highest level and as i said earlier be laserbeam focus on the chinese threat and other

margins get narrow in narrow our personnel capabilities have to get greater and greater. gerry: what about technology we always assumed we had a technological superiority that's more advanced and the chinese have been narrowing the gap, how do you see the u.s. technological capabilities to china. >> i look at a technological people bully as a mirroring of the weapon system and the operator when it comes to the weapon system the chinese closed the gap particularly in ballistic missiles, antiship cruise missiles in the destroyers putting out to sea, there putting out high and pieces of gear, when you have to marry it with the operator that's why think the united states could maintain an advantage if it maintains its focus on work fighting. gerry: finally we've been very focused on china's language with

regard to taiwan and the u.s. has repeatedly committed to support, do you think the u.s. is in a position is it effectively deterring the possibility of the chinese from taiwan. >> our intent is to develop a sufficient force of the appropriate allies in the credible belief among the chinese that will use the force, that would add up to deterrent effect, i do think we have the right forces and i think it is down to a razors edge and will be a significant advantage, when you pick about a conflict with china in the east china sea with japan were in very good shape because of the japanese allies, i think it a conflict with taiwan were gonna need to invest in taiwan's ability to be a porcupine it's very hard for the

chinese to digest, we still need to do work and develop a taiwanese capability so there is enough time for the states air force to arrive. gerry: we are out of time but my great thanks to admiral mark montgomery, it's fascinating, i will be back next week with more in-depth interviews on the woure meantime, thank you for joining us. ♪ ♪ ♪. jack: welcome to "barron's roundtable" where we get behind the headlines and prepare you for the weekend i'm jack otter. what will be the energy sources of the future duke energy ceo lynn good ways and stock picks in a forecast for the rest of the year from veteran investor bill priest we begin with the three most important things investors ought to be thinking about right