The American Century is over. Full stop. We’ve got a clown in the White House, and whether by accident or design, he’s doing a remarkable job of tearing the country apart. Some days it’s hard not to wonder if Trump is secretly working for Moscow.
If we were being honest with ourselves, we’d face reality: it’s time to “bring the boys home.” Slash the defense budget. Pull the troops back. Admit we can’t afford to be the world’s policeman anymore—especially when our own social safety net has been gutted under the same excuse of “saving money.” The logical move would be to embrace Fortress America. The world might collapse into chaos, but at least we’d be honest about who we are and what we’re willing (or unwilling) to do.
There is, oddly enough, one possible silver lining: if we stop spending trillions overseas, maybe we could finally afford something like Universal Basic Income. Maybe. But let’s be real—our leaders have shown us who they are. If there’s extra cash lying around, they’d rather chase trillionaire status than fix inequality.
And inequality is the elephant in the room. The gap between the haves and have-nots is now so obscene that it feels unstable. I don’t think revolution or civil war is likely, but I can imagine a scenario where tech upheaval—AI, automation, the looming Singularity—pushes the poor and working class past their breaking point.
Do I think it’ll happen? No. But am I worried enough to keep one eye on the possibility? Yeah.
