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DEAR EDITOR:
Both Republicans and Democrats are fond of referring to ours as the greatest nation in the world -- maybe even ever. And yet, the prevailing catch phrase of the Trump GOP is that we must "Make America Great Again," which implies that America is not, in fact, great. Let's ignore that contradiction and go with "We're the greatest."
That's not unreasonable. The United States gave the world an alternative to monarchies 250 years ago. We were instrumental in winning two world wars. We rebuilt the very nations that we vanquished after World War II. And even while helping others, we became the dominant economy; the dollar became the most coveted currency. We hosted the United Nations. Put a man on the moon and made admirable strides in making our society healthier, just and equitable.
So why have we become such whiners? Why have we become such Scrooges? We're not leading the world by example, choosing instead to lead by bluster and threats.
When did the nation that broke the back of British colonialism begin to think it should make imperialistic threats against Greenland, Canada and Panama?
We spent 1% (a penny out of every dollar) on foreign aid. We did that not only because it was the right thing to do, it was the smart thing.
We wiped out diseases in places that most of us couldn't pinpoint on a map. We didn't know who they were, but they knew who we were. They saw us as humanitarians, not patsies. Until Elon Musk and President Trump wiped USAID off the face of the earth.
We spend millions every weekend flying the president to Florida so he can play golf, but when an earthquake hit Myanmar, we pledged a paltry $2 million in aid (while China embarrassed us with its robust response).
Do we have a trade deficit? Yes, because we drifted into being a consumer nation -- and the cheaper the commodity, the better. But past presidents didn't whine about how everyone was taking advantage of us and then unleash a simplistic 19th-century response to the complex trade problems of a 20th-century world. They pursued legislation, like the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act signed in 2020 by President Biden, that has had a real impact on domestic investment in computer chip production.
Serious leaders work on solutions. They don't go on TV, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick did Sunday, and play the victim card. By my count, Lutnick used some variation of the phrase "we're being ripped off" seven times. Strong leaders and strong nations don't whine about how victimized they are.
If we want to "be best," perhaps we should start acting like we know what it takes to rise to that level. It starts with smart policies and hard work. Not manufactured grievances, simplistic solutions and behaviors that make the rest of the world see us as a weak shadow of the nation that was once the world's only superpower.
DENNIS B. MANGAN
Howland