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America has a thousand ways that the government protects the rights of the people. Trump doesn't want to lose this, for his own personal gain. But this means that he has to uphold it for all Americans.
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But what about Trump saying he'll let China take Taiwan if they want to? Maybe this is "America first" in some narrow way, but that seems like it would be pretty bad for us in the long run.
That is pretty much what part of the ideology of America first is about, first taking care of the issues of the people of the United States and then (perhaps) take care of the issues and life of those who are abroad. In the mind of many Republicans it does not make sense for them to spend billions of dollars in the defense of Ukraine or Taiwan while there is a homelessness crisis and veterans in the streets on their own country. Though, you must be aware that, even if the Republican party was handed all that money back for them to build houses for the homeless, they would never do that, if it sounds like socialism they won't do it. They would instead give that money to some contractor for it to build the houses and them sell them at the full market price.
Those are the views of the whole capitalist system in the United States, and MAGA will only defend Israel because to them it makes sense to do so, but Ukraine and Taiwan do not.
I think we are so forgetting the basics here and not getting well some elemental facts - the economy of the US is built on their ability to get things their way at a global scale.
America (US) never stopped putting America first. The difference is how Trump understands (or rather does not understand) what it means to put US first.1) I
t is a fallacy to say that people "live in the streets" in the US because the money is spent elsewhere. People are living in the streets because the US has a system that does not provide social safety nets, it is do or die.
2)
Loosing face and trustworthiness at international level will cause the US economy to worsen. The US is a global power - to a point THE global power. The level of progress, autonomy, democracy (for now) and lifestyle in the US is not because of their internal markets and resources (not only), it is because of the ability to defend their interests at a global scale and have multinational companies that are accepted elsewhere by charm or threat equally.
3) The weapons sent to Ukraine are produced mostly in the US.
The weapon goes to Ukraine, the jobs stay at home.
4)
The US does have enemies, competitors, and allies. You want less enemies, the right allies and keep competitors weak.Thus, there are states that are hostile to US and there are states who can eat a chunk of the living standards of the US citizens and there are some others, usually democracies, that are willing to collaborate towards common goals. If you get that wrong, the hostiles will keep on attacking your ships in the Red Sea, China will eat up your share of the global market for high-value services and Europe will decide that they no longer need to have US bases, nor give any preferential treatment to US companies..
- For example,
Taiwan as of now is critical for the semiconductor industry. Let it be in Chinese hands and you have lost a critical supply in hand of a competitor (who is building a huge army reaaally fast BTW). It is 101.
- For example, you
break NATO and Europe will no longer be collaborative (e.g. getting rid of all the FAANG +Tesla and create their own - "Europe First" style) - so you change
an ally to a competitor - what a brilliant idea!
- Putin needs democracies to fail. He would look like shit if Ukraine joined the EU and start becoming a well developed country.
Make no mistake - Putin hates the US and the EU systems as much as the USSR did. He will undermine it, and has done it, at every occasion.
e.g. US decides not to support Ukraine (while dismantling NATO) and Ruzzia will be thinking Letonia, Findland, Poland... OOhhh unless you really believe that Putin would not try to go for the next one (LOL x 10). Is that a problem to US? Yes, Ruzzia is a competitor to the US in several markets and in world influence. Let Ruzzia grown and again, they will eat a chunk of your living standards.
So now, what are the benefits of letting Ruzzia take Ukraine, China take Taiwan and break the NATO alliance? Plus breaking the Asia-Paicific trade zone and many other "brilliant moves"? A short term protectionist boost perhaps? Who thinks that the US will be better of long term changing allies into competitors?
If I were Xi Jingpin or Putin trying to put an agent into the presidency of the US I would choose, in essence, Trump. My guess is that they actually have.
BTW, Republicans defend Israel because it makes sense? May I get you view on why it makes sense? In fact,
I am interested to understand what is the Republican global picture of where the US should be in 5 to 10 years, because what I see for now is not "US first".