No one would argue that American leadership in the world for the last 70 years has been flawless. No one could argue that global leadership has not come at a cost in both blood and treasure for America.
The question now is what nation or nations would anyone rather see exerting the most influence globally? This is a question for the first time in 70 years because of the actions and statements of Donald Trump and his administration.
When Abraham Lincoln wrote in his message to Congress on Dec. 1, 1862, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth,” I’m quite certain he did not have in mind Russian real estate deals or lucrative defense contracts with Saudi Arabia.
Imperfect for sure, the United States has generally still been regarded as a beacon of hope and freedom for the world. Trump’s speech at the United Nations on Sept. 25 outlined what could be called the “Trump Doctrine,” which essentially proclaims,” You can do whatever you want to your people. We don’t care and won’t interfere as long as you buy stuff from us.”
The Trump Doctrine mocks Lincoln and reduces any lingering idea of American “exceptionalism” to a morbid joke. Trump seemed puzzled when the U.N. delegates laughed at his proposals.
Trump’s equivocal response to the repugnant pro-Nazi demonstrations in Charlottesville in 2017, his warm embrace of murderous thugs around the world, his sadistic family separation immigration “policy,” his denial of the science of climate change and his daily assaults on objective facts and democratic principles such as the First Amendment and an independent judiciary gravely undermines the credibility of our country as a force for good in the world.
Withdrawing the U.S. from a position of world leadership opens the door for China and Russia to exert ever more influence around the globe and they are moving swiftly to do just that.
Relatively wealthy and increasingly assertive, China still practices and promotes a brutal authoritarian political ideology, imprisoning minorities and denying freedoms that Americans have fought for since 1776.
Vladimir Putin has had 28 journalists murdered in Russia since he took power in 2000 and at least three outside Russia. The chummy, backslapping, Journalist Murderer Club greeting between Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the recent G20 summit in Argentina should have turned every American’s stomach.
If we fail to show leadership and continue to deny the science of climate change the good things America has done and stood for will be forgotten.
Again quoting Lincoln’s same message to Congress: “The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew ... Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves ... We know how to save the Union (or to paraphrase, the Earth ). The world knows we do know how to save it.” American leadership, though very imperfect, has had great meaning and value in the world, even if America is sometimes naive and clumsy and the world is sometimes hostile and ungrateful.
Marty Ansley
Cinebar
