National Security Strategy 2025
On December 4th, the Trump administration laid out its 2025 National Security Strategy. Having a strategic plan for security whether economically or otherwise is actually a good thing. For the most part, this is less a strategy and more of a wish list with congratulatory statements meant to appease the commander in chief.
In reading it, the hyperbole would make you think that the United States still believes it is in a good position to continue calling the shots. It starts out with the dubious claim that "over the past nine months, we have brought our nation and the world back from the brink of catastrophe and disaster."
There is no doubt that America is still the most powerful nation, economically, militarily and culturally, but this is no longer a unipolar world as it was after the Cold War. China will soon be the world's largest economy and has shown its willingness to stand up to the United States.
This was proven to be the case as the administration capitulated when it came to China as it threatened to withhold certain rare earth elements.
Unfortunately, some of the stated goals are contradictory and have been betrayed by the administration's own actions. When it states that it has unsurpassed soft power, one has to question the termination of USAID. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has reported that the shutdown has resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of people.
“If past administrations got it wrong about China, then the present administration has gotten it wrong about Russia.”
— Tony Aguilar, CMCG Commentary
When it comes to the western hemisphere, America's military escalation against Venezuela, along with what some call interference by the United States in Honduras's election, nations of Latin America would be right to be leery of what is being referred to as the Trump corollary.
Key Context
China is now the region's second largest trading partner in Latin America and the Caribbean — complicating America's hemispheric ambitions.
The term that has garnered a lot of attention from European capitals is civilization erasure. The term is geared towards Europe because of a belief that their immigration policies will lead to its ultimate decay.
It reeks of Vice President JD Vance's Munich Security Council speech, where he excoriated the leaders of Europe. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has referred to Europe as "freeloading" and "pathetic."
Europe is not in danger of this so-called civilization erasure. This is simply a function of the American administration's obsession with immigrants as it attempts to purify the American population.
It is perhaps time for Europe to end its sycophantic approach to this administration. While Europe needs and enjoys access to America's thirty trillion-dollar economy, America also needs Europe's twenty trillion-dollar economy and its supply chains.
“America first is fine, but America alone cannot be in your interest. You need partners in the world and one of those partners can be Europe.”
— German Chancellor Frederick Merz
The idea of "ending the perception and preventing the reality of NATO as a perpetual expanding alliance" reeks of a desire to please the Kremlin. Given its history, it is a naive belief that Russia will not be a perennial threat to Europe.
European Voices
Chancellor Frederick Merz
Germany
Some parts are unacceptable to us from a European perspective.
President Emmanuel Macron
France
Called for independence from America and a European army.
Seema Malhotra MP
United Kingdom
The prospect of US interference in European democratic politics is chilling.
“The world is changing, our adversaries are increasingly emboldened. International institutions and norms that have kept Canada secure are now being called into question, and the United States' priorities, once closely aligned with our own, are beginning to shift.”
— Canadian Prime Minister Carney
More nations now view the US as a threat to their democracy. The reality is that many nations while not ignoring the US are beginning to look at other options.
The National Security Strategy is an obvious but flawed attempt at maintaining American hegemony.
Given America's saber rattling in recent months with Canada, Panama, Greenland, and now Venezuela, America may find itself isolated. They may find that as it promotes its National Security Strategy, the allies needed to bring this into reality may be reticent.
Where the study is correct is that Europe may be different twenty years from now. The reason, however, is not necessarily because of immigration, but what may be an increased belief that the US is becoming a threat. Europe may be different because of its attitude towards America.
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