Selim Ibraimi- Current American policy, focused on buying territories or winning them militarily, dates back more than two centuries. At that time, the US needed territorial expansion and more resources. This was necessary to fight Great Britain and, in the meantime, to make more friends.
American statesmen of the time included figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Adams. They rightly linked the fate of the American colonies to European help, especially from France.
While the opposite is happening today, the American president mocks the French president.
The United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence from Great Britain in July. Since then, things have moved in an unpredictable direction.
Former friends and allies of the US feel betrayed and insecure.
They have lost faith in the US. NATO has become an alliance where the US and its European allies are testing the vectors set decades ago. Europeans have now woken up. They are finally realizing that the golden age with the US is coming to an end. A new path must be found for two simple reasons.
First, the US is not what it used to be. Second, the rise of the multipolar world has prompted European states to enhance their security. The economic shift to the East encourages them to seek economic independence from the US.
The US feels betrayed by the Europeans. This sentiment is expressed under the current presidency of Donald Trump. Budgetary reasons and a focus on the Western Hemisphere contribute to this feeling. President Trump has repeatedly stated that there will be no “clean checks” for the Europeans.
Everything seemed good since 1945, but then one day, everything changed. It is not so easy for Europe and the Balkan states. It is also challenging for the whole world that has benefited from the US’s support since 1945.
In the new political-economic conditions, the US has taken radical steps in its domestic social policy. Significant health policy measures have also been implemented to reduce costs.
Although previously, American citizens were not offered so much health care, etc., with the recent wars, many current benefits are in danger of being abolished.
So, there are several reasons why the US, in its 250th anniversary, is not the same for everyone.
Even for the American citizens who voted for the current president for fewer wars and more focus on domestic problems.
“America First” seems to apply not only in the Western Hemisphere but also beyond.
Supporters of the MAGA movement have expressed concern about Trump’s recent moves in the Middle East. They say that many of his promises to improve the domestic situation will remain mere 2024 election promises. In this regard, President Donald Trump said that the federal government is spending so much on the war. As a result, it cannot afford programs like daycare and healthcare.
“The US cannot take care of daycare. It has to be up to the states,” President Trump said. “We are fighting wars. We cannot take care of the daycare.”
He extended this line of thought to major health care programs. “Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual state things. You can’t do it,” Trump said.
“We have to take care of one thing: military defense. We have to protect the country.”
At the same time, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and even Italy are searching for other cooperation partners. They are also looking for reliable resources.
According to data from several agencies, from 1945 to 1961, the US sent about $45 billion to Western Europe.
From 1962 to 2021, the US provided aid worth about $25 billion.
Since 2022, due to the war between Ukraine and Russia, the US has sent about $188 billion. Of this, $127 billion went directly to Ukraine.
In general, since 1945, total US aid to all European countries amounts to $260 billion.
In today’s money, approximately $750-800 billion. According to the USAFact report, total US aid to all countries since 1945 amounts to $3.8 trillion in today’s dollars.
Despite the data, the US is continuing to engage in new wars. These wars will parallelly damage the American budget. They will also harm the lives of its citizens. The country’s lack of many domestic programs, along with the happiness index of an American citizen, further exacerbates the situation.
Recently, the US government has asked Congress for another 250 billion dollars for the war in Iran.
The trillions of dollars of endless wars since 1954 and other losses that have damaged the US are not included.
Given these circumstances, how can an ordinary American citizen not be worried? What more can Europeans expect?
In this context, our mind always goes to the fate of previous empires throughout the centuries. Notable examples include the Roman Empire and the British Empire.
Excessive expansion in wars in foreign countries led the empire toward collapse. Economic issues and political factions also contributed to this downfall.
This should be a warning sign for the US. It approaches the 250th anniversary of independence. One must always look at the past and the present. We should walk carefully into the future.
The US public debt has reached 39 trillion US dollars, according to recent reports. This fact should be an alarm for Washington.
The article was written specifically for Portalb.mk. The publication rights are only owned by Portalb.mk and the author, according to the agreement between them.
NOTE: The title has been adapted from the original Albanian to English for clarity.