By Daniel Nardini
Despite all of the news and youtube opinions and editorials that have come out about America’s place in the world, and what is happening in domestic politics, there are things that have not been mentioned or discussed about what has changed and what has not changed. It is hard to figure what current U.S. President Donald Trump may or may do, but despite what Trump is and what Trump does, the United States of America is NOT about one man no matter who that man may be and what his power as president may be. Here is what America’s place in the world is at this point:
America’s military alliances; the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) remains intact. U.S. troops are still stationed in Europe, and the wartime command of the alliance remains in the hands of an American general. No American president can change this alliance alone. The act of leaving the NATO alliance can only be done by the U.S. Congress with a two-thirds majority and this act has to be signed by the president. Likewise, the United States still maintains bilateral military alliances with Far East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the United States maintains military bases in countries in the Middle East like Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Also, the United States maintains military bases in countries like Greenland (a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark), Iceland, Djbouti, Honduras, Cuba (much to the consternation of the Cuban government), Singapore and Iraq.
America’s economic treaties; the United States has free trade agreements with seventeen countries. These countries are Canada, Mexico, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru and Singapore. Despite Trump’s threats of tariffs, these free trade agreements remain pretty much intact. These agreements were passed by Congress and signed by the president. Whatever nonsense Trump may be pulling it is dangerous for the U.S. government as a whole to totally renege on these legal treaties that if abrogated would disrupt the total trade network not only with the United States but also many of these countries especially in the Americas who also have trade agreements between each other.
America’s trade agreements with the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Taiwan have not changed despite Trump’s meddling with them. These two countries remain very important in the trade network. The United States in fact has a free trade agreement with South Korea. The United States has a significant trade agreement with Japan. Recently, the U.S. government negotiated an additional trade agreement with Japan that further integrates the two economies. Despite Trump’s threats, there is a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union negotiated on July 27, 2025 which simply reinforces previous agreements between the two. Trade relations between China and the United States remain fairly tense. However, I have noticed that there are fewer consumer goods being made in China on store shelves in America. More products on the store shelves are being made in countries like Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia and especially in Vietnam. We have to keep in mind that tariffs are taxes that Americans must pay when something is imported.
No matter what one man does or is going to do to change the destiny of the United States, there is only so far such a man can go. The whole trade network, the military alliances and America’s place in the world has been built up over decades and cannot be so easily torn down and destroyed. Whatever damage current President Trump may do, he himself cannot take down the world our American ancestors have built up since the end of World War II. Our ancestors gifted us a world and a place for America in that world which cannot be so easily torn apart even by one demented, evil man with too much power.
Where is America’s Place in the World Now?
By Daniel Nardini
America’s military alliances; the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) remains intact. U.S. troops are still stationed in Europe, and the wartime command of the alliance remains in the hands of an American general. No American president can change this alliance alone. The act of leaving the NATO alliance can only be done by the U.S. Congress with a two-thirds majority and this act has to be signed by the president. Likewise, the United States still maintains bilateral military alliances with Far East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the United States maintains military bases in countries in the Middle East like Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Also, the United States maintains military bases in countries like Greenland (a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark), Iceland, Djbouti, Honduras, Cuba (much to the consternation of the Cuban government), Singapore and Iraq.
America’s economic treaties; the United States has free trade agreements with seventeen countries. These countries are Canada, Mexico, Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru and Singapore. Despite Trump’s threats of tariffs, these free trade agreements remain pretty much intact. These agreements were passed by Congress and signed by the president. Whatever nonsense Trump may be pulling it is dangerous for the U.S. government as a whole to totally renege on these legal treaties that if abrogated would disrupt the total trade network not only with the United States but also many of these countries especially in the Americas who also have trade agreements between each other.
America’s trade agreements with the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Taiwan have not changed despite Trump’s meddling with them. These two countries remain very important in the trade network. The United States in fact has a free trade agreement with South Korea. The United States has a significant trade agreement with Japan. Recently, the U.S. government negotiated an additional trade agreement with Japan that further integrates the two economies. Despite Trump’s threats, there is a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union negotiated on July 27, 2025 which simply reinforces previous agreements between the two. Trade relations between China and the United States remain fairly tense. However, I have noticed that there are fewer consumer goods being made in China on store shelves in America. More products on the store shelves are being made in countries like Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia and especially in Vietnam. We have to keep in mind that tariffs are taxes that Americans must pay when something is imported.
No matter what one man does or is going to do to change the destiny of the United States, there is only so far such a man can go. The whole trade network, the military alliances and America’s place in the world has been built up over decades and cannot be so easily torn down and destroyed. Whatever damage current President Trump may do, he himself cannot take down the world our American ancestors have built up since the end of World War II. Our ancestors gifted us a world and a place for America in that world which cannot be so easily torn apart even by one demented, evil man with too much power.