The baffling thing is how the hell did we end up relying so much on the US in the first place.
The last time the US was great was FDR, and even he had to fight like hell against America First in order to stand up against the nazis. Other than that there has been brief moments of impressive presidents, but they have always been up against a nation that seems infantile at best. JFKs greatest accomplishment - arguably second to Marilyn Monroe - was that he managed to keep his own secret service from getting a nuclear war started. Which is great, but it’s great in spite of America.
I think I have over-estimated America on account of having my formative years during the Obama presidency. He seemed like the leader of the free world. But that was a brief exception in a historical perspective.
Now that we have come to.A point that it’s obvious we cannot depend on America, I am only left with one question: How did we ever come to think that we could?
Maybe Eisenhower was still a good president, but I think FDR should be considered one of the greatest leaders of all time, not only in America. Any other will not be up to par
Absolutely. If America was ever great, the greatness existed in the work and legacy of FDR. Saying that he was one of the greats feels like selling him short.
How did we ever come to think that we could?
Because it was easy, is my uneducated guess. The US is, despite all the nonsense, a nearly unfathomably rich natural fortress with the strongest military in the world. If they’ll give you free (or “free”) stuff there’s not much reason in the moment not to take it.
