Why the hell should the rest of the world trust America anymore?
Issue #819 The Choice, Thursday, March 6, 2025
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Why the hell should the rest of the world trust America anymore?
The reason why the United States will likely never again be considered the true leader of the free world, at least not in our lifetimes, is a matter of trust. Nobody trusts us anymore, and with good reason. We are the nation that gifted Trump with the presidency of the United States twice. And the second time, he actually won the popular vote as well as the Electoral College. It was almost as if we were apologizing to Trump for not letting him finish the massacre he had begun eight years earlier.
President Biden worked his tail off to stitch together America’s gaping wounds after winning the election in 2020 and succeeded in his repairs far beyond anyone’s expectations when it came to COVID recovery, economic recovery, etc.
So, what was our response? We decided to toss all that progress stuff in the trash and give Trump the whip to beat us to death with it. Sadomasochism at its finest. Please, Master, may I have another?
To the rest of the sane world – and to the less than sane world that is cheering Trump on – this is clear evidence that America hasn’t just lost its way; we have lost our mind. We have abandoned our allies to suck up to dictators and war criminals, largely because same recognizes same.
To the rest of the world, it’s a problem when a majority of residents in the most powerful nation on Earth can’t bring themselves to vote for a highly qualified Black woman when a proven white nationalist idiot is available.
In a sane country, it should not have been considered anywhere near normal that Trump was able to attract more than maybe 12 votes at best. OK. Maybe 12 votes per state. The fact that so many hundreds of millions of Americans, for whatever reason, prefer and support someone like Trump means it’s time to consider other options.
And it doesn’t matter if we elect somebody saner next time (if there is a next time) because the damage has already been done to our global reputation beyond repair. We fucked up twice deliberately and on purpose, so why would the rest of the world think that all will magically be right with America once we wake up and elect a sane individual?
Why should they believe we won’t get bored and maybe elect a smarter version of Trump all over again in 4, 8, or 12 years just for the sheer entertainment value? And because we can’t remember anything that happened more than a week ago – or at least we can’t seem to remember what really happened.
Why the hell should anyone trust us?
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Annual Message to Congress in 1941, what later became known as the Four Freedoms speech, it was the message that catapulted the United States to be recognized as the leader of democracy worldwide.
That happened because Roosevelt was able to earn enough trust and respect throughout Europe and much of the rest of the world so that America could be counted on as a trustworthy global partner. Those of us who know the finer details know the many flaws woven into American democracy (racism, sexism, severe economic inequality, etc).
But at least the idea of democracy, of one person, one vote for all persons, felt like an ideal worth fighting for. It was what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was banking on in his I Have A Dream speech when he said the time had come to cash a check.
“So we have come to cash this check, a check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and security of justice.”
Earlier this week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a fireball statement attacking Trump’s disastrous tariffs that was both a reprimand to the Trump administration and a classroom moment for the rest of us ordinary Americans who might have an interest in what Trump is actually doing to us.
If you think Trudeau is exaggerating in his criticism (and if you haven’t read or heard that speech you should really take the time), you can either consider the fact that Trump backed off his tariffs on Canada within 24 hours of the Tuesday midnight deadline (following Trudeau’s remarks), or you can twiddle your thumbs and wait to be smacked around by the tariffs he hasn’t revoked yet, or by any other assortment of Trump policies.
Or you can consider the fact that Trudeau still plans retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump’s hollow threat. Why? Simple. Because he knows he cannot trust a deranged and pathological liar. From the AP:
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he welcomed indications that the U.S. would delay substantial tariffs on Canadian products for a month, but said Canada’s retaliatory tariffs would remain in place for now.
And then there’s this:
“Trudeau said earlier Thursday that he expects Canada and the U.S. to be in a trade war for the foreseeable future after having what he called a colorful but constructive call with Trump on Tuesday.”
When you’re at war with your friends, it’s time to, you know, get concerned.
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Well-written! Thanks!