The United States is an Enemy to All and a Friend to None

Under the administration of Donald Trump, the United States can be nothing except an untrustworthy partner

We all saw what happened yesterday. The United States brought deep shame on itself as the President and Vice President shouted Russian propaganda into the face of the man who has done more than almost anyone to actually fight America’s enemies over the last three years.

I was reminded of a story I have heard a lot in my life, that many of you have probably heard as well. It is often attributed to being a Native American parable, but to be honest, I don’t know its true origins. It goes something like this:

A boy encounters a dying yet venomous snake at the top of a mountain that speaks to him. The snake begs the boy to carry him to the bottom where it is warm so that he might live. The boy is hesitant, but the snake is persistent and cunning, so the boy relents and picks him up and takes him with. When they reach the bottom of the mountain, the boy sets the snake down and it immediately turns and bites him. As he lies dying, the boy asks the snake why he would do this after he saved his life. The snake turns to him and says, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.”

Under the administration of Donald Trump, the United States will always be a snake of a partner, and other countries would do well to stop picking it up. Shame on us for allowing this to come to pass. However, other countries need not share our shame.

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash

America: The World’s Insecure Bully

Since returning to power, Trump has done nothing but bully allies and kowtow to America’s fiercest geopolitical opponents. A phenomenon DS has already highlighted. The reasoning behind Trump’s behavior was brilliantly laid out by Chris Truax in an article for The Hill. He explained that Trump’s business influenced worldview is divided between the “people who get screwed over and the people who do the screwing.” Trump has brought his insecure approach to life to the world. He will seek to bully all those he can and carve up the world with those he can’t. Beyond the horrifying immoral implications of this approach, Truax explained why it is doomed to fail. Trump may believe that the countries he bullies are now subordinate to the US but as Truax wrote, “It’s easy to get a great deal out of someone who trusts and relies on you — once. But after you abuse that relationship, they will take steps to make sure they are never in that position again.” Every time Trump bullies an ally, the United States becomes more isolated.

The Illusion of a Strongman World Order

There are those who think Trump’s approach is a form of genius. Either the United States will befriend Russia and turn them against China, or all three countries will work together to dominate the world in some amoral global order with the strong on top. This is not what will happen. Politico reported on what Russia and China were up to as Trump and JD Vance berated Volodymyr Zelensky:

Russian Security Council Secretary SERGEI SHOIGU’s warm reception in Beijing today couldn’t have been more different in tone and substance from the Zelenskyy-Trump fracas in the Oval Office.

The timing of Shoigu’s meetings with China’s leader XI JINPING and Foreign Minister WANG YI looked suspiciously like counterprogramming targeting Zelenskyy’s Washington visit. And Chinese state media reporting suggests Shoigu returns home to Moscow with reassurance that Beijing’s alignment with Russia — which keeps its economy afloat and helps its army continue its war on Ukraine — remains rock solid.

The two countries may one day turn on each other but never in favor of joining with the United States. For now, the two countries are joined together by the fact that they both see their path to global power as running through the demise of American leadership and US influence. At this moment, they can probably hardly believe their luck. These countries will not join some strongman club with the United States, but they will certainly be willing to pretend to do so for the benefit of gullible American leadership until it is too late.

The United States sent a clear and simple message to the world yesterday. Don’t trust us and don’t count on us, the Yanks are NOT coming.

You cannot even count on the United States to pursue its own selfish interests. Securing greater support from your friends while weakening your enemies is the definition of self-interest. Instead, the country will do whatever satisfies the fragile ego of its President, no exceptions. The Liberal World Order has collapsed. Any hope for a new brand of American leadership is gone too.

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