This week we got what we’ve been waiting for. Trump finally talked to Putin, and we can start piecing together what might happen from this point forward. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, also attended the NATO Ministers of Defense Meeting and was very outspoken.
Let’s get into it.
The Empire Business
After World War II, the United States was in a unique position. All the previously dominant European powers were in shambles, and the U.S. was the only country with nuclear weapons. One would think the U.S. would use its newfound position to subjugate the world like the empires of the past, but this time was different. The U.S. chose to rehabilitate Europe and get them back on their feet. Americans handled foreign policy mostly on principle rather than in a purely transactional manner. Eighty years later, things are a bit different; Americans voted for Donald Trump, and he wants to rewind the clock to a pre–World War II era.