America Is Weaker Alone
The United States may have the most powerful military, the largest economy, and the greatest world influence, but that hasn’t always been the case and could easily change.
China wants to be the world’s economic leader and largest trading partner, while Russia wants military superiority that it can use to expand its territory. Both nations are actively working on increasing their global leadership, including making alliances with North Korea and Iran, all of whom wish to see America fall.
That raises the question: what type of presidential administration and political party would look at that situation and decide to antagonize our neighbors, threaten our allies, and publicly chastise the world’s largest military alliance, which used to see America as its leader?
America didn’t start as powerful and wealthy. The Revolutionary War was an incredible achievement by farmers and tradesmen against the immense fighting force of an empire that controlled one-quarter of the Earth. It would take over a century from that victory for America’s economy to surpass England’s—another almost half-century for New York to become the world's financial capital.
Our economic greatness has survived economic collapses that took down over 200 banks in a tragic domino effect, a Great Depression, gas shortages, massive inflation, and a Great Recession. Our military prowess grew through two World Wars and emerged as the world’s only superpower from the Cold War.
America didn’t achieve our greatness through isolationism. France helped us win the Revolutionary War. The Central Powers and Axis Powers of World Wars I and II were defeated by a coalition of allied forces, which went on to form NATO to counter Soviet aggression and stop major wars from happening in Europe. Those military alliances led to trade agreements that brought the American middle-class prosperity.
The Cold War was won not just by technological advances and military presence but also by spreading American culture and ideals to other countries. President John F. Kennedy understood this concept when he created USAID to counter Soviet influence. China understands this concept today with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), sometimes called China Aid.
China also launched the Belt and Road Initiative to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa better through significant investments in roads, railways, and ports. There are also the BRICS nations, which are strong economic countries that work together to expand their political and economic influence as an alternative to America and the G7 nations. BRICS began with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa but has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. This organization accounts for 40% of the world's population and is dominated by China.
China is actively working on increasing its influence, including its goal of displacing the dollar as the world’s trading currency. This is why ending USAID or any other effort to improve America’s diplomatic ties with foreign countries makes zero sense. Yet that is exactly what Elon Musk is trying to do right now: entirely end USAID, stop other foreign aid programs, and isolate America. Musk’s extensive ties to China make this move all the more troubling.
While Russia and China are strengthening their alliances with North Korea, Iran, and a handful of other nations, President Trump is hurting our relationship with our closest neighbors, threatening to leave NATO, and publicly discussing his desire to take over Greenland from our ally, and forcibly take the Panama Canal.
This is a gift to our adversaries. Russia has been working for years to drive a wedge between the United States and NATO, eliminating America’s presence and military might in Europe so that Russia can expand its borders. Placing high tariffs on our trading partners and allies will drive them to form new economic partnerships with other nations, including China.
America's greatness will not survive alone. Our investments overseas align nations with our interests instead of our enemies. Our aid and foreign programs maintain American culture as the gold standard the world aspires to. Our military alliances deter nations from starting wars that would cost American lives.
It is perilous to have a President and an unelected billionaire oligarch making decisions on issues they either don’t understand or have a nefarious ulterior personal motive for which they are ok risking our nation’s future to achieve.
When a powerful coalition of adversarial nations is aligned with knocking the United States off its leadership perch, why would we push away our allies to increase the risk of hostile actions? If Congress can’t hold back these extremist decisions, then the only avenue remaining is public outrage and protest. Our future depends on it.
