Anne Applebaum on Trump's Foreign Policy and Democratic Decline

The Shifting Global Landscape

• 🌍 The current moment is described as a rupture, not a transition, signaling a fundamental change in the global order and the role of the United States.
• 💡 Allies perceive that the U.S. no longer values collective security as it once did, necessitating the creation of new alliances and institutions.
• 🇺🇸 The U.S. national security strategy indicates a detachment from old allies, with a particular skepticism towards Europe and its liberal democracy.

Europe's Evolving Role

• ⚡ Europe is increasingly expected to act independently economically and militarily, as attempts to appease the U.S. president have proven unsuccessful.
• 🇪🇺 Europeans are now the primary financial and military supporters of Ukraine, with the U.S. contributing intelligence and other elements.
• 🔄 This shift is viewed as permanent, meaning it will not revert even with a change in U.S. presidential administration.

American Dominance and Alliances

• 🗺️ There's a perceived push towards a policy of spheres of influence, where the U.S. would dominate the Western Hemisphere.
• 🤝 This approach suggests that allies are burdens and costs, rather than assets, contradicting the post-WWII era where alliances fostered peace and prosperity.
• 🇺🇸 The current U.S. president is seen as the first since 1945 not to position himself as a leader of democracies, showing no interest in that role.

Domestic Impact of Foreign Policy Shifts

• 🏛️ The diminishing emphasis on leading democracies has weakened the U.S.'s national identity, leading to competing ideas about what it means to be American.
• ⚖️ The value of democratic institutions, such as courts and a meritocratic civil service, has been undermined by attempts to politicize and partisanize them.
• 📉 This shift has made the U.S. a different country, perceived differently both internally and by the international community.