If you think Peter Zeihan went a little overboard when he claimed NATO died in Brussels a few days ago, think again. Earlier today in a Bavarian beer hall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “The times when we could fully rely on others are to some extent over — I experienced that in the last few days . . . we have to fight for our own future ourselves.” This is a watershed, in the view of Richard Haass of the Council of Foreign Relations, and “what the U. S. has sought to avoid since World War Two.”
We are doing what the Romans failed to do, which led to the fall of Rome. We are withdrawing, in a timely strategic retreat. The Europeans are just going to have to figure out how to get along without us.
Not that we are isolating ourselves, far from it. In Brussels, Trump made every effort to strengthen his relationship with the British. Great Britain and all the Anglosphere are our closest and most natural allies, which we want India to be part of, as well.
And in Sicily at the G-7, Trump met privately with Japanese Prime Minister Abe before seeing any other leader. The Japanese-American alliance will only grow stronger. They’re not part of the Anglosphere, but they might as well be. They are a perfect ally.
We want friends and allies all over the globe. 70% of this world is water, and we want the United States Navy to control it, and the air above it. For this we need naval and air bases, which means we need friendly foreign hosts. Since anyone in their right mind should want to be friends with the most powerful military and economic country in the world, this shouldn’t be a problem.
This strategic withdrawal means a reduction in the United States Army. We really don’t need much of an army to protect ourselves from the Canadians and Mexicans. And if we’re not going to send the army to Europe, or the Middle East, or Asia, where are we going to send it? And if we’re not going to send it anywhere, why have it?
Who are we going to fight, if not the Russians? The Chinese? It will never happen. That’s why we have a navy. The USS Nimitz carrier group is about to join the Vinson and the Reagan in the vicinity of North Korea. Even if China wanted to somehow interfere, it can’t.
We don’t need to station 25,000 soldiers in South Korea. These three carrier groups send a far more powerful signal than they can. They should be withdrawn. And the same for the units in Germany.
As we withdraw from Europe and South Korea, we will become a less militarized society, and that is always conducive to freedom. War and the state are one, in some sense, and as we become less war like we can reduce the central power, the federal government..
I just finished Robert D. Kaplan’s 2012 The Revenge of Geography, which is a fabulous book, though rather dense. Kaplan is a gifted writer, and thinks along the same lines as Zeihan. I’m sure Zeihan is a student of Kaplan.
Kaplan says we’ll be getting out of Afghanistan and Iraq before long, thank God, and that this will give us the time and energy to deal with the one geopolitical problem we do have: Mexico and its 110 million people.
The Mexican problem is one that we’re perfectly capable of solving. Trump has already taken the first step, which is regaining control of our border. Once this is widely understood and appreciated, his approval ratings will rebound.
The second step is the eradication of the Mexican drug cartels. With the governments, federal and provincial, of Mexico, we can do this. We want a strong and prosperous Mexico, and friendly relations with the government and people.
I’ve lived in California half my life, and have naturally had a lot of interaction with Mexican-Americans. One of my good buddies in college was Frank Aranzubia, from Chula Vista. Our family has intermarried with Mexican-Americans. I feel as though I know these people.
We’re all going to get along just fine. Eventually.
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