Can no man is an island apply to no country is an Island?

The President of the United States ran on the promise of Making America Great again. I have no particular time period to which I can point that America was the greatest for each year or each period had another great invention, had a period of booming economy, or a victory in a war somewhere in the world. So what are the good old days?

The United States as we know it was founded by foreigners, immigrants who decided to break away from a government they considered not democratic. There was a new country in town, and the people needed to be sustained, the United States sought for manpower. The sips sailed to Africa, where the “best” were selected and brought to build the country. Years after slavery was gone and the transatlantic slave trade was ended there was a country beautiful and powerful.

The importance of technology, medicine, and engineering came later. And all the world powers sought the best students from India, China and other countries to help make sure they are not left behind by these technological advancements. The United States was no exception. Scholarships and work visas were given to the best students in all these countries, students at the top of their classes were encouraged to apply for these opportunities, and the incentives and promises for a better life were not scares. You see the importance of global economy had become an ideal all global powers wanted to achieve. Allies made it easier for trades between those countries, and other than just sustaining a country, being a global power became important every day.

This growth and development was only possible if countries respected each other and recognized that they needed each other to fill in the blanks in their systems. But once links start getting blurred then it only a matter of time before they are gone, and a country loses all its support system.

The President of the United States has mentioned all things wrong with some of its allies, partners or providers to the means of production. Starting from the recent “shithole” comment that triggered a global #thisismyshithole movement, to the constant blaming China, Russia, and Japan for failures in the global stage, and the othering of immigrants whether legal or illegal, the United States is losing its respect in the global stage. The question is, will it be able to remain powerful in the global stage as a sole actor?

Humans have always depended on each other for survival since the beginning of time. And Nations like the United States have depended on immigrants, foreigners and other Nations to survive. The argument that the United Stated as a country could sustain themselves sounds promising, but I think if we acknowledge that this is a long short is rational.