We Don’t Need Another Cold War

Grand swaths of blue and yellow flags, car decals, and laptop stickers bury the national red, white, and blue. Screaming matches echoed in the halls of power over a country 5,000 miles away. Not too long ago, these incessant warning signs signaled that the national political landscape careened away from the humility and honor of the great Monroe Doctrine and into a false moralist obligation to interfere with global affairs.The American foreign policy of today is spiritually on par with the soul of the Marvel-worshiping millennial. Visibly seen in discourse ranging from Congress to the free press, there is an omnipresent idea of the “good guy,” which encompasses the liberal democratic nations of the world, in conflict with the “bad guy,” which can range from theocracies to illiberal authoritarian regimes. This lazy and vapid worldview is in direct conflict with the traditional and righteous alternative: a neutral willingness to cooperate with nations of the world for the best outcomes for America.However, even this false moralist doctrine is an insufficient explanation of the status quo. So what is the real impetus for our opposition to Russia? Why does the U.S. State Department pursue “the survival of democracy” in Ukraine until the death of every last Ukrainian man?As of April 2024, the bilateral aid given to Ukraine has ballooned to $75 billion USD, 61% of which is defense spending: weapons, equipment, and loans. Consider the reality of the situation. The Biden administration’s limitless spending coupled with Zelensky’s concerningly high casualty tolerance continues to deliver Ukrainian fathers and sons straight to their death in Western Russia. There have been 440,000 Ukrainian casualties and 355,000 Russian casualties in exchange for further expansion of the American military industrial complex and failed empire building. In the current state of the conflict, the lie that Ukraine can still claim any sort of victory over Russia erodes with every Ukrainian man’s death and every relinquished mile of land.Putin’s original demands were simple. He called for an independence to the land and people that were culturally and ethnically Russian. He did not call for a re-establishment of the Soviet Union, nor the total destruction of Kiev or the Ukrainian people. He simply acted in the interests of his nation and the state that he serves, which is a natural state of affairs for any competent world leader. This worldview of the natural activities of nations does not necessitate that America should become allies with Russia for simply acting on its self-interest. However, it does reveal a glaring issue. Putin’s radical actions highlight exactly what America is lacking: a fearless actor for the people.It will take a great deal of humility and reexamination of our nation’s priorities before the United States can rebuild a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship with the Russian Federation again. If we want to reclaim a position of moral authority, the U.S. State Department must stop deceiving the people. We must uproot the bloodthirsty profiteers who lurk within our nation’s capital and end the fruitless destruction of the Ukrainian nation under the watch of Volodimir Zelensky. Remember that the true America First position is this: the American nation, virtues, and prosperity must be supreme over all.,Let America be America, and Russia be Russia.