Trump's new security strategy endangers democracy

The US has Abandoned its Mission to Promote Democracy and Freedom Around the World

President John F. Kennedy set a tone in his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, proclaiming America's commitment to protecting and promoting democracy and freedom globally. "We pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty," he said.

This vision has guided every US president since Kennedy, with each one building on his foundation of democracy and freedom as cornerstones of national security and global influence. However, there was an outlier - Donald Trump.

Trump's first term did not offer a clear picture of what America wanted in the world, but it was finally laid out in the administration's National Security Strategy released December 4. This 33-page document read like something from a time capsule, embracing nationalism, chauvinism, and a world dominated by great powers.

The strategy outlines an approach to foreign policy with American interests far narrower than previous administrations had portrayed them. Gone is the US as a global force for freedom; instead, America focuses on reducing migration while avoiding judgment on authoritarians who are seen as sources of cash.

This new posture has dire implications for democracy and freedom in other nations. For decades, America's vast power, prosperity, and political commitments have been an asset for democratic forces everywhere. The world trusted that the US was not driven by parochial interests and bottom line.

The post-World War II global order was shaped by a commitment to democracy and freedom at its core. World leaders understood the indispensable role of the US in exemplifying and supporting those values. So did the American people, with growing bipartisan support for active US leadership in the world and robust military power to deter authoritarian adversaries.

However, Trump's National Security Strategy is clear: words like "freedom" and "democracy" are barely used. Instead, it prioritizes commercial diplomacy through tariffs and reciprocal trade agreements. The document promises an American retreat from parts of the world that have relied on US help, with allies now expected to assume primary responsibility for their own defense.

Make no mistake, this will leave a vacuum that China and Russia will fill, putting America's national security at risk. The strategy repudiates pluralism and diversity, seeing migration as a threat to Western civilization. It undermines democracy by portraying the world in which smaller nations are subservient to larger ones.

The US has abandoned its mission to promote democracy and freedom globally, instead embracing an outdated approach of "gunboat diplomacy." This is reminiscent of President Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy approach, where the US would intervene to protect its interests. The Trump administration's National Security Strategy doesn't mention Venezuela but seems to reference it in the context of protecting American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.

By repudiating pluralism and diversity, Trump's strategy undermines democracy. Historian Robert Kagan observed that supporting democracy is a matter of national security. But not for Donald Trump. The president's National Security Strategy portrays America as focusing first on its own interests rather than advancing freedom globally. This is a far cry from Kennedy's vision of America as a beacon of democracy and freedom on the world stage.

OMG, I'm literally shocked by this news ! Like, how can the US just abandon their mission to promote democracy and freedom around the world? That's such a huge part of who they are, you know? It's like, what's next? They're going back to that old "gunboat diplomacy" approach? I don't think that's gonna work out for them... China and Russia will just fill the vacuum and it'll be a disaster! We need more global cooperation and support for democracy, not less! Can we start a petition or something to get this changed back?

i think this shift in us foreign policy is super worrying, it feels like they're abandoning the whole "shining city on a hill" thing . america used to be all about promoting freedom and democracy, but now it's more about protecting its own interests . it's gonna leave a huge power vacuum that china and russia will fill, and we'll be left wondering what happened to our global leadership . trump's approach is all about gunboat diplomacy, which sounds super outdated to me . i hope the next president will take a different approach, one that still prioritizes america's values but also acknowledges its place in the world

the us has kinda lost its way it used to be all about spreading democracy and freedom around the world, but now it seems like they're just looking out for themselves trump's national security strategy is super weird, it's like they've abandoned their values of supporting freedom and democracy. it's making a lot of other countries nervous and china and russia are gonna fill the vacuum . it's sad because kennedy set the tone all those years ago and now we're seeing a whole different approach. it feels like they're being super nationalistic and protecting american interests above all else, which is not what america was built on

I don’t usually comment but this whole thing with the US abandoning its mission to promote democracy and freedom around the world is super worrying . I mean, it’s like they're just taking a step back from being that global leader everyone looks up to. It makes sense why China and Russia would fill the vacuum, tbh .

I was reading about JFK's inaugural address and it's wild how much his vision for America has been built upon since then. But now, with this new strategy, it feels like they're just trying to protect their own interests . What’s next? Like, are they gonna start prioritizing trade deals over actual freedom and democracy?

I'm so disappointed in this new direction the US is taking with foreign policy. It feels like they're abandoning their values and principles. Freedom and democracy shouldn't be just for America, it should be a global thing . The fact that Trump's National Security Strategy barely mentions these words is worrying. And what about all the countries who are counting on us to support them? We can't just leave them high and dry .

I also don't get why they're so focused on tariffs and trade agreements. That's not how you build strong relationships with other countries . And the idea that smaller nations should be subservient to larger ones is, like, totally wrong .

It's like they're giving up on being a global leader and just wanting to protect their own interests . That's not how you create lasting peace and stability in the world. We need to work together as a community, not just look out for ourselves .

This new direction is a step back for America and for humanity as a whole .

I think this is a big problem ... America's influence around the world is being reduced to just looking out for itself ... it's like they're saying that other countries aren't important enough to care about ... I mean, isn't that kind of defeatist? ... and what about all the people who are living under authoritarian regimes because the US used to be a global leader in democracy and freedom ... now it feels like they're just being abandoned ...

I'm worried about this shift in US foreign policy . It feels like they're abandoning their role as a champion of democracy and freedom worldwide . I mean, think about it - for decades, the US has been the go-to power to support democratic movements and promote human rights globally . But now, it seems like they're all about protecting American interests first .

This new approach is gonna leave a huge power vacuum in the world that China and Russia will definitely fill ️. And let's be real, their version of democracy doesn't exactly align with ours . It's like they're trying to recreate some kind of nationalist utopia where smaller nations just bow down to bigger ones .

I also don't get why they're so quick to criticize migration as a threat to Western civilization . That sounds super xenophobic and divisive . And what about the little guys who need American help? Are they gonna be left high and dry in their time of need?

It's like Trump's strategy is all about America first, forget everybody else . Newsflash: democracy and freedom aren't just US problems, they're global issues that require a global response . We can't just sit back and let China and Russia fill the void .

I'm curious to see how this plays out in the long run . Will America start to lose its reputation as a champion of democracy and freedom? Only time will tell . But for now, I'm feeling pretty uneasy .

I'm like totally shocked by this news . I mean, the US used to be all about promoting democracy and freedom around the world, but now it seems like they've given up on that whole idea . It's like, what happened to John F. Kennedy's vision of America as a beacon of liberty?

I remember when Trump came into office, people were like "what's going to happen?" and now we see the National Security Strategy coming out with this narrow focus on American interests . It's not about promoting freedom or democracy anymore; it's all about protecting America's power and wealth .

It's crazy because I was just talking to my friend the other day about how China and Russia are already stepping in to fill that vacuum, and now we're seeing the US just standing by . This whole thing feels like a big ol' mess .

so like what just happened to us? we used to be all about spreading democracy and freedom around the world, but now it seems like america's all about itself and its own interests. it's like they're saying "forget you, other countries" and it's got some really bad vibes for the rest of us.

i mean think about it, we used to have a president who actually cared about freedom and democracy, but now it's all about tariffs and trade agreements and protecting american interests no matter what. it's like they're saying that's more important than helping other people be free

and china and russia are gonna fill the vacuum that america leaves behind which is super scary for our national security. i just wish america would go back to its roots and start promoting democracy and freedom again

I just heard about this news and I gotta say, it's wild. Like what happened to all that American idealism and promoting democracy worldwide? It feels like they're gonna let China and Russia fill the void or whatever . And isn't it crazy how Donald Trump's National Security Strategy is basically saying we only care about ourselves now? It's like, what about all those countries that rely on us for help? I mean, I get it, some of them can be kinda shady, but we gotta try to make the world a better place, right? And don't even get me started on this "gunboat diplomacy" thing... doesn't that sound super outdated? Like, Theodore Roosevelt was all about that in the early 20th century . I just hope someone figures out how to turn this strategy around before it's too late

America's new foreign policy direction is super worrying . They're shifting their focus away from spreading democracy and freedom around the globe to just looking out for themselves . This is gonna create a huge power vacuum that China and Russia will totally fill . The US used to be like, the ultimate symbol of democracy and freedom, but now they're just a shadow of their former selves . It's all about "America first" , which is so not what America was founded on . We need the US to be a leader in promoting freedom and democracy, not just looking out for its own interests .

omg, I'm so bummed to hear that the US has basically abandoned its mission to promote democracy and freedom around the world it's like they've gone from being this beacon of hope for humanity to just being another self-centered power player

I mean, don't get me wrong, Trump's National Security Strategy makes sense in a twisted way - if America is only looking out for its own interests then it's not surprising that China and Russia are gonna fill the void and try to expand their influence

But what really gets my goat is that they're basically repudiating pluralism and diversity by saying that migration is a threat to Western civilization like, hello, isn't that just code for xenophobia?

And can we talk about how this strategy undermines democracy? I mean, if the US is only looking out for its own interests then it's not exactly setting a great example for other countries to follow

It's like they've taken all the coolness out of being an American and replaced it with just being another imperial power trying to bully everyone else into doing what they want

anyway, I guess this is just another reminder that the world isn't always a utopian dream

The US is kinda giving up on spreading democracy worldwide . I mean, can you imagine if they just stopped trying to promote human rights and freedom in other countries? It's like they're just looking out for number one now . They used to be all about helping smaller nations, but now it's every country for itself .

I'm kinda worried that this new approach will lead to China and Russia filling the void . I mean, we don't want those guys running around everywhere, making life miserable for everyone else . It's like they're trying to recreate the Cold War all over again .

And what's with the whole "gunboat diplomacy" thing? It sounds like they're just gonna keep poking their nose in where it doesn't belong and expecting others to get along . I don't think that's how you build alliances or make friends .

It's a shame, really. I was always taught that democracy and freedom were worth fighting for . Now it seems like the US is just going through the motions .

omg just read about how the US has officially abandoned its mission to promote democracy and freedom around the world... like what even is going on rn? this is so bad news for everyone who was counting on the US to be a force for good globally. i mean, kennedy's vision of america as a beacon of liberty and democracy was literally the foundation of everything that's been done since then. and now trump's just like "meh, let china and russia fill the void" which is super concerning, tbh. this whole thing reeks of nationalism and a whole lot of self-interest... not what america should be about at all

The US has abandoned ship , kinda like they did with their promises to help Ukraine . It's all about America first now . They used to be the leaders in spreading democracy and freedom but now it's just a nice word . Trump's strategy is all about power and money , not helping people or countries that need it. China and Russia are gonna fill the void , and America will lose some serious clout . It's not like they didn't know this was coming ... but still kinda surprising that it happened so fast

It's like America's lost its compass. I mean, what happened to all that idealism about spreading freedom and democracy? Now it sounds like they're just looking out for themselves. That's not how you build global relationships or create a safer world . China and Russia are already circling the wagons, waiting for the US to take a step back. It's not like this is some new thing – we've seen Trump's America First attitude before, but it's still worrying .

omg u guyz i cant beleev whats happend to amerikka!! they used 2 b all about spreadin democracys & freedoms around the wrold now its like ther tryna isolate themselfs from everythin dont get me wrong, trump had some wierd ideas, but this new strategy by trump is straight up scary its like ther tryna say "forget ur freedomz" to every1 els and its not like china & russia wer just chillin in the corner waiting 4 america 2 take a backseat

It's like America just forgot what it stood for, you know? They used to be this super powerful force for good, but now it seems like they're only looking out for themselves . This new "National Security Strategy" is so narrow-minded, it's like they think democracy and freedom are just words on a page, not actual values . And what's up with this focus on tariffs and trade agreements? It feels like they're more concerned with lining their own pockets than actually helping the world . This is gonna have some serious consequences, especially for countries that rely on US support . We need to see a change back towards a more global perspective, not just some outdated "gunboat diplomacy" approach .

just read about this and i'm literally shocked , like what happened to us? america was always supposed to be that country that promotes freedom and democracy everywhere, but now it seems like we're just looking out for ourselves. this new national security strategy is super worrying, i mean china and russia will totally fill the vacuum left by the US leaving these countries to sort themselves out . and what's with this "gunboat diplomacy" approach? that sounds so outdated .