The White House’s new National Security Strategy, a lengthy document released on Friday, can be summed up as “America Alone.” This document outlines the administration’s foreign policy goals.
The strategy, which is 33 pages long and emphasizes “America First,” criticizes European allies in a way that could be seen as racially insensitive. It also acknowledges that the United States must share power with China and seeks new alliances in the Western Hemisphere, where it currently has few. While some parts of the document are simplistic, the issues it addresses are serious.
The document states that the United States will no longer be the sole supporter of the global order, but it’s unclear if this is a description of the past or a new policy. The US’s role in this new world is also unclear: it will no longer be the dominant power, but it will be more aggressive towards other rising powers.
The strategy claims that the US must prevent other nations from dominating the world. It acknowledges that larger, wealthier, and stronger nations have always had a significant influence in international relations. It also states that China’s rise has come at the expense of the US, but it can only be contained, not stopped.
The White House hopes to find allies in the Americas, but this may be difficult. The “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, which suggests the US should dominate its neighbors, is not a new idea. The document also fails to mention how few strong allies the US has in the region, while threatening military action against drug networks and pardoning a corrupt former president.
The strategy uses serious language but lacks concrete solutions. For example, it states that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “thorny,” which is a dismissive way to describe a complex issue with significant consequences.
The document reads like a more formal version of President Trump’s speeches. It includes some of the same prejudices and complaints found on social media, and it abruptly ends with a suggestion that Africa’s resources are its main value.
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