The US was able to leverage its natural resources, large population, and manufacturing capacity to help the Allies win WWII. In the vacuum created by so much of Europe dealing with rebuilding, it was able to do pretty much anything it wanted to, anywhere it wanted to. It’s easy to have things your way when there’s no one strong enough to say no.

Predictably, the US abused that power worldwide and mistook the lack of complaints as validation. That began to change in the 70s and the power has been decreasing ever since. Now most of the world not only doesn’t want us, they no longer need us. All TFG and his toadies are doing is giving the rest of the world the opportunity to tell us to fuck off with having to say fuck off.

"and saw in this future “possibilities of such enormous human progress as to stagger the imagination.”

The next several decades would prove Luce right, as the United States emerged from World War II as one of two global superpowers and, arguably, the world’s preeminent cultural and economic force. Luce, who was a Republican, intended his broadside to serve as a template for conservative internationalism — in effect, a powerful response to the party’s isolationist, America First wing. But this concept — of America as a friendly goliath, the “Good Samaritan of the entire world,” promoting democracy, capitalism, trade and international order — guided the thinking of most policymakers and politicians across the political spectrum for the better part of a century.

Until now."

Barf…

“Until now.” Lol

"possibilities of such enormous human progress economic consolidation as to stagger the imagination.”

“this concept — of America as a friendly goliath, the “Good Samaritan mob enforcer of the entire world,” promoting democracy, capitalism, and trade and international order —”

There, fixed.