THE END OF THE AMERICA WE KNEW

Ronald Reagon and John Kennedy are gazing down on us from heaven, weeping.

It is fair to characterize American foreign policy since 1933 as pro-democracy, symbolized by Reagans “City On A Hill” speech.  Pro-democracy sentiments already existed, tenuously, in 1933. In that however, the nearly simultaneous ascent of Franklin Roosevelt at home here and Adolf Hitler in Germany made crystal clear, going forward, that US Foreign Policy would always be anti-despotic and pro democracy. Even if we often failed to live up to our ideals, it was who we were; it was always what we aspired to.

After 1945, fascism didn’t pose a significant threat to non-Iberian Europe, but the Soviet model of communism surely did, and our alliances with Europe’s democracies were the basis of our foreign policy. Generations of American children have been educated in those democratic values.  . The picture of America we taught ourselves, even with its flaws, aspired to those ideals. It made us proud to be an American.

Until Donald Trump. And his surrender of Ukraine [and, eventually, Europe]. And his desire to turn the world upside down: “Black is white.’  Let us count the ways.

1. It is not just our values.  America’s global empire, and in particular its strong economy —  including the preeminence of the dollar as the international currency– was rooted in those values. Our relations with other nations, especially democracies, was built on that trust, painstakingly earned over 75 years. [US AID, which was the largest international aid program in the world, was part of that trust; it came at a minuscule price—less than 0.03.% of the US budget—while being remarkably efficient].

• Negotiating a Ukraine treaty directly with Russia, without even consulting out NATO allies or Ukraine, betrays that trust; so does declaring that Ukraine has no right to be involved and must accept the terms that are given. The proposed agreement will place financial and military requirements on the NATO countries without their consent, The proposed agreement requires loss of  territory for Ukraine, again without its consent loss of land. [the proposed treaty also allows China to seize Taiwan]. What gives Trump the right to negotiate such a treaty? It is as if all of Europe were feudal states, and Trump the Feudal Lord.

• Threatening the conquest of a NATO ally [Canada] also destroys trust, even by our own neighbors. No wonder they are booing American teams – they should, if only to signal their rejection of Trump. Europe may join them.

• Proclaiming publicly that the United States will no longer honor the numerous trade treaties we negotiated—which were largely pro-American – destroys that trust. Why would another country now expect us to abide by any treaty it signs? Like Putin, we will only comply with treaties when it suits Trump.

• Destroying the World economy because you don’t understand how it’ works, making the whole world poorer—destroys trust while making America poorer. High Tariffs on most goods always harm the economy; there is a reason that free trade after WW II brought an economic boon.  Tariffs also increase inflation, which makes it conflict with his campaign promise to lower prices and lower inflation.

More importantly, the General International on Trade [GATT]  was an American creation. It was created because  the US believed [for 75 years] that free trade benefited America; there was a similar consensus among developed economies that free trade was beneficial. It has governed the world economy for 75 years.

Trump apparently believes that the Free Trade consensus should be changed. However, that is a discussion which should involve Congress, the American public, and our allies. This affects every country on earth. Trump has no authority to abolish how the world economy operates on just a whim. That is especially true if, as likely, he is wholly ignorant of how the world economy operates.  

• Stating that you will no longer fulfil the NATO mission — resisting Russian aggression and mutual self-defense —also destroys trust.  It also makes America immeasurably weaker. NATO has made the world safer for 75 years; its loss will lead to more and greater wars, including possibly a war for all of Europe.

In addition, America’s empire [and yes, we are an empire] , and its global power has always been based on our vast network of alliances, the dollar as the global currency, strong allies and alliances, global trade rules which favored the US, and a long-standing American commitment  to democracy, human rights, and aid to the poor. For that reason, the free world has looked up to America for 75 years. Even if that commitment was not always fulfilled, our aspirations made America the City on a Hill envisioned by both Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy. Trump is abolishing all of that because foe no reason except his own ego and ignorance. He may  actually, believe, contrary to all historical evidence, that Tariffs will make America great. He does not understand that in war, there are no winners, only survivors.  

In one month, Donald Trump has destroyed all of the above,  perhaps because he idolizes dictators and despises democracy, considering it un-masculine. For Trump, being  a man means being a bully; Putin and Victor Ormand are his role models, because they are strong and manly. [That is why Putin poses half naked]. By summer the destruction may be complete, and America will be a pariah, with a visibly weaker economy, and no allies.  

The destruction of democracy and suppression of dissent is not hardwired into the American system. Rather, it’s an aspect of Trumps insecure, narcissistic, thuggish personality, which sees every situation that involves him as one that he must win. His personality is inherently constrained by the laws and norms of liberal democracy and freed by their being supplanted by autocratic rule.  That is why, as the last month demonstrates, he opposes democracy at home as well as abroad.

Donald is not only destroying Justice, the climate, and the federal government; he is destroying the World we have lived in for 75 years. We will never get it back. The future will be poorer and more dangerous for all of the world, and millions will suffer or die.  All because the price of eggs was too high, there were too many gays on TV. And a nation of immigrants no longer wants them. If there is a democratic America a century from now, they will look upon us with disgust and bewilderment. Today we look back on periods of history such as slavery and wonder “What were they thinking.” If there is a future, it will ask us the same question.

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