A question popped into my head yesterday that really caused me a moment of pause. Mike Johnson, the current Speaker of the House, is third in line for the presidency after Vice President, Kamala Harris. That alone is a scary thought but when you realize that Johnson appears to have zero foreign policy credentials it is really terrifying. I got to wondering if Johnson has ever been out of the country or even has a passport. I was certainly no fan of Kevin McCarthy, but he looks like an international statesman compared to Johnson. Mike Johnson is clearly in over his head – and, let me foot stomp this – he is the third in line for the presidency. How the hell do people like Mike Johnson get into such positions of power?
I would be willing to bet a fairly hefty sum of money that Mike Johnson would flunk a high school level test on world geography, let alone geopolitical strategy. And yet here he is, one of the most powerful people in Congress, actively torpedoing the legislation for sending funding to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan at the behest of Donald Trump, who I would also argue would probably fail the same geography test. This nationalist mind set will be the death of the United States. It is very reminiscent of the mindset of many people in the United States just prior to World War II. The current nationalist movement will only help Putin, President Xi of China, North Korea, and every other authoritarian in the world. It sure as hell won’t make American stronger, safer, and greater.
Part of the problem, in my opinion, is the fact that many Americans are not very well versed in world geography, world politics, American history, and world history. There was an article in Forbes in May 20191 which, based upon a survey, which concluded that 11% of Americans have never even been out of their own state! Forty percent of those surveyed have never left the United States. In another article2 according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, only 42% of Americans even have a passport.
Given this, it’s no small wonder, why many Americans do not understand why sending aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is important and key to the long-term security of the United States. To many Americans, sending money to far off places makes absolutely no sense, particularly when many of these people have no idea where these places are. All the arguments that politicians make just go right over their heads. How can anyone who has never even left their own state or travelled to a foreign country wrap their head around the need to send aid overseas? The only problems they truly understand are the ones they see every day in their local environment.
Mike Johnson clearly does not understand the strategic importance of sending aid to Ukraine. Trump might understand, although I doubt it, but he just doesn’t care because he doesn’t see any benefit to himself. Trump really tipped his hand with his recent remarks essentially encouraging Putin to attack any of our European NATO allies who aren’t sufficiently contributing per whatever criteria Trump deems is required.
The simple fact is, if Trump is re-elected and geopolitically challenged people like Mike Johnson, continue to occupy positions of power, it is a one hundred percent probability that Russia, China, North Korea, and others will take advantage of this nationalistic and isolationist attitude to continue their aggression. For all the braggadocio commentary about how tough Trump is, the fact is, he is a coward at heart, and will continue to make concession after concession to these authoritarians. And as long as their aggressions don’t impinge upon Trump’s ability to enrich himself, he will happily sell America down the drain.
Electing Trump and keeping people like Mike Johnson in positions in power will not make America great but it is the most likely path leading to World War 3. Had the United States stepped in long before Hitler was able to roll across Europe, WW II would have been a much shorter war and perhaps, the Japanese would not have attacked Pearl Harbor. As the philosopher, George Santayana so famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And here we are!
