‘We Don’t Have a Strategy Yet’: When the World Stopped Looking to America

Think about the world in 1945. Nazi Germany was in shambles. Japan was devastated after having nuclear bombs detonated on its soil. The Soviet Union had just lost 24 million people. Britain was in debt and struggling to stay afloat. All the great nations of the world were decimated. But through the rubble of World War II, a new superpower emerged: America.

The post World War II era marked the beginning of America’s dominance on the global scene. Economically, agriculturally, and militarily, the U.S. was the dominant nation in the world. America was at the center of most global issues: weather disasters, humanitarian aid, and even full-on military engagements. When a famine broke out in a third world nation, U.S. ships, loaded up on American bumper crops, set sail. If a tiny free country was being bullied by a larger power, American diplomats brought political pressure to bear. Nations on every continent took almost no action without calculating for how America would respond.

Today, America broadcasts a different image. No longer is America first on the scene of the world’s great tragedies. The U.S. isn’t eager to aid nations that are struggling from oppressive dictators or suffering from aggressive neighbors. America’s time as global policeman is coming to an end and many people are happy to see it retire. The U.S. is transforming from an international power to a nation focused on internal and domestic issues. Watch today’s episode to see what this change in policy means for America’s future.