America First
A idea whose time has passed
I’m tired of America First, an old idea now promoted by those who would abandon Ukraine and leave NATO, on the pretense we are being fleeced by international welfare cheats.
But in a contest between democracies and authoritarians, shouldn’t we always support allies who practice free speech, a free press, free markets, fair elections, and the rule of law? You know, countries that share our values and never make war against one another. According to some in the US, apparently not.
One wonders, would they really break ties with our allies? Would they cozy up to Putin and other international criminals? They might even want to emulate them. Would they jail political opponents? Shoot misbehaving generals and shoplifters? Trash the Constitution they swear to uphold? They say they will.
Extremists in Congress, who seem to be growing in number, say that we should stop spending money on other peoples’ security. Someone should tell them that NATO has merely kept the peace of Europe for 75 years; that a thousand British, Norwegian, Danish and other NATO soldiers died fighting for us in Afghanistan; that there are 450 million Europeans who buy our products.
I say, give Ukraine what it needs to defend itself. NATO forever. And if the opposite of America First is “Globalism,” then I’m a Globalist. Because I prefer democracies to gangsterism, and I know that history is on my side.
Post submitted by Frank Schneider, a volunteer with The Union
Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.
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Great essay. Spot on.
Remember that “America First” has problematic historical precedents, most especially the isolationist movement in 1937-41 that was significantly infused with fascist sympathizers. Many of the movement’s aims in that era are manifested in the current day. History doesn’t repeat exactly but it sure does rhyme.