Trump Is Destroying a Core American Value. The World Will Notice.

[C_Clayton_Jones]

'In the late 1980s, Joseph Nye, the Harvard political scientist who died this month, developed the concept of “soft power.” His central premise, that the United States enhances its global influence by promoting values like human rights and democracy, has guided U.S. foreign policy for decades across both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Donald Trump has made clear that he fundamentally rejects this vision. As president, he has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the State Department that will cripple its capacity to promote American values abroad. At the center of this effort are drastic cuts to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor — the State Department’s core institution for advancing soft power, which I led under President Barack Obama. Unless Congress intervenes, the debasement of the bureau’s role will impair America’s ability to challenge authoritarianism, support democratic movements and provide independent analysis to inform U.S. foreign policy. The long-term result will be a United States that is weaker, less principled and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers like Russia and China offer their own transactional models of global engagement.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/opinion/trump-soft-power-state.html

Trump of course doesn’t care about challenging authoritarianism and supporting democratic movements; in fact, Trump himself is an authoritarian despot hostile to democracy and the rule of law.

And the United States is currently weaker, less principled, and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers advance their international self-interests.

 

[toobfreak]

Donald Trump has made clear that he fundamentally rejects this vision. in fact, Trump himself is an authoritarian despot hostile to democracy and the rule of law.

 

[shockedcanadian]

'In the late 1980s, Joseph Nye, the Harvard political scientist who died this month, developed the concept of “soft power.” His central premise, that the United States enhances its global influence by promoting values like human rights and democracy, has guided U.S. foreign policy for decades across both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Donald Trump has made clear that he fundamentally rejects this vision. As president, he has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the State Department that will cripple its capacity to promote American values abroad. At the center of this effort are drastic cuts to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor — the State Department’s core institution for advancing soft power, which I led under President Barack Obama. Unless Congress intervenes, the debasement of the bureau’s role will impair America’s ability to challenge authoritarianism, support democratic movements and provide independent analysis to inform U.S. foreign policy. The long-term result will be a United States that is weaker, less principled and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers like Russia and China offer their own transactional models of global engagement.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/opinion/trump-soft-power-state.html

Trump of course doesn’t care about challenging authoritarianism and supporting democratic movements; in fact, Trump himself is an authoritarian despot hostile to democracy and the rule of law.

And the United States is currently weaker, less principled, and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers advance their international self-interests.

Without question, Americas greatest global asset is their reputation as.a defender of human rights and civil liberties. Trump needs to know this and must not abandon it, Im not sure he has though you suggest he has. Compared to Europe which is openly hostile to democracy, Americas checks and balances and free elections are far ahead of the kakistocracies they rubber stamp.

America possesses invaluable Goodwill. Goodwill that China and Europe could only dream of having. JD Vance provided an important stance when he called out Europe. Rubio has always been a promoter of U.S human rights. Trump needs to understand the value of this human right reputation, your Constitution is everything and citizens of the world admire and even envy it.

 

[JohnDB]

It's a definite shift in foreign policy dubbed economic diplomacy.

And it's a bigger carrot than "we will give you money if you play nice" which was the way it had been done.

But it also has its drawbacks as well as advantages.

The advantage is that it's a sustained income stream for the people it affects. This means jobs, dignity and respect for all involved. It is with less graft than the blatant handouts had. Often these handouts were insulting on many levels with people being insulted over what they deemed to be a part of their cultural identity.
The girls waving their hair at Trump during his UAE visit is a prime example. It is an honor for the girls to be selected to do this. Only the most well behaved and prettiest girls are selected to be part of this honoring ceremony. It's not misogyny. It's an honorific for all parties involved.

But then comes an American clown of a diplomat offering millions if they stop with the hair dance ritual.

The negatives? It creates money grubbing clones of some of the worst corporate offenders that we have. These people will destroy their homeland for a quick buck. (We only have one planet).

 

[1srelluc]

LOL.....What do you think the rest of the world thought about FJB's botched Afghanistan withdraw and the opening of our borders?

Talk about exhibiting weakness to the world!

Thank goodness that's over....Enjoy the parade.

 

[Dekster]

America will be fine. History has a way of sorting things out.

 

[struth]

'In the late 1980s, Joseph Nye, the Harvard political scientist who died this month, developed the concept of “soft power.” His central premise, that the United States enhances its global influence by promoting values like human rights and democracy, has guided U.S. foreign policy for decades across both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Donald Trump has made clear that he fundamentally rejects this vision. As president, he has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the State Department that will cripple its capacity to promote American values abroad. At the center of this effort are drastic cuts to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor — the State Department’s core institution for advancing soft power, which I led under President Barack Obama. Unless Congress intervenes, the debasement of the bureau’s role will impair America’s ability to challenge authoritarianism, support democratic movements and provide independent analysis to inform U.S. foreign policy. The long-term result will be a United States that is weaker, less principled and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers like Russia and China offer their own transactional models of global engagement.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/opinion/trump-soft-power-state.html

Trump of course doesn’t care about challenging authoritarianism and supporting democratic movements; in fact, Trump himself is an authoritarian despot hostile to democracy and the rule of law.

And the United States is currently weaker, less principled, and increasingly sidelined as authoritarian powers advance their international self-interests.

You are greatly overstating Nye’s impact. He was a Clinton and Obama official who’s theories are always going to be connected to those two admins that were weak on terrorist and soft on Putin

We have spent the better part of the 21st century engaged in wars because of them

 

[CrusaderFrank]

We'll see how serious Trump is about wiping out America's enemies.

He's doing fanfuckingtastic on the ones abroad

 

[JohnDB]

America will be fine. History has a way of sorting things out.

History is full of failed empires that imploded.

Egyptian, Assyria, Myan, Babylonia, Persian, Ottoman, Rome, Britain....

If we do not stick with what has made the USA successful (working together honestly and with integrity without "cancel culture" ) we are cooked. Period....this nation will fail just like many others in the past.

We only have 330 million people but have a HUGE chunk of global influence.
That in itself is a precarious precipice to be standing on. It makes us a target. Do not be deluded.

 

[sparky]

we can not sell a virtue , we can only serve as example ~S~

 

[Dekster]

History is full of failed empires that imploded.

Egyptian, Assyria, Myan, Babylonia, Persian, Ottoman, Rome, Britain....

If we do not stick with what has made the USA successful (working together honestly and with integrity without "cancel culture" ) we are cooked. Period....this nation will fail just like many others in the past.

We only have 330 million people but have a HUGE chunk of global influence.
That in itself is a precarious precipice to be standing on. It makes us a target. Do not be deluded.

America will be fine. We don't need an "Empire". People who aspire to one deserve to be screwed.

 

[JohnDB]

America will be fine. We don't need an "Empire". People who aspire to one deserve to be screwed.

We ARE an empire already....been one since WW2.
Before we were just "one of the many". Afterwards due to the UN, after the failed League of Nations, we were the ultimate Empire.
Been number 1 economically and militarily for almost 80 years now. We've lost a lot of ground since then. No more economic superiority....militarily we are losing ground rapidly as well.

 

[Dekster]

We ARE an empire already....been one since WW2.
Before we were just "one of the many". Afterwards due to the UN, after the failed League of Nations, we were the ultimate Empire.
Been number 1 economically and militarily for almost 80 years now. We've lost a lot of ground since then. No more economic superiority....militarily we are losing ground rapidly as well.

Nature abhors a vacuum. The lack of competition is why we have been #1, not that greed and violence are the "core american values" we should be worried about maintaining to begin with.