As the United States influence and power in the world grew, so did our diplomatic ties. As our economy thrived and the commercial center of the world came to the U.S., we gained more allies. But currently, America stands at a crossroads where its power and influence is being constantly tried not just by the tyrants and radicals of the world, but also by our so called allies. Countries such as France and Germany have been strong allies of ours for decades, but are it time for these ties to go? Germany and France are certainly hinting so as we are repeatedly met with opposition in situations such as the Russia-Georgia crisis and the Iraq War. When we attempted (not necessarily at full effort) to reprimand Russia for their belligerent actions in democratic Georgia, we turned to the powerful organization in the region, the European Union, which is dotted with long time allies of ours such as France and Germany. Yet when sanctions on Russia were proposed, France and Germany led the charge against these sanctions, at times unable to come up with coherent reasons other then their apparent economic reliance on Russia. These countries, to whom which we offer great benefits in our alliances and trade agreements, don’t seem to be returning the favor.
Who are our real allies then? I think that we should cut back on our diplomatic ties with countries such as Germany and France to a reasonable level (still one of alliance but not to such a high degree) and turn to the more subtle allies that are pushing forward with us in our crusade for democracy, freedom, and justice. What about countries such as Colombia, Georgia, and the majority of African countries (despite what the media says about the world hating america)? These countries may not be as strong, but we can certainly count on them just as they have counted on us to bring justice to the world in many forms.
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