MAGA’s Challenge to the Post-World-II International Order

Rolling Stone’s commentary argues that the “America First” stance championed by former President Donald Trump has created a strategic vacuum, encouraging rivals such as Russia and China to act more aggressively. The piece contends that the United States is now “responding to events” rather than shaping them, with forward bases in the Middle East described as “smoldering ruins.” It links the October 2023 attack on Israel to a broader perception that the United States is locked in a clash of civilizations, further eroding confidence in American leadership.

Rolling Stone

The article recalls the post-World-II vision articulated by Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947, which emphasized rebuilding Europe to prevent instability from reaching America. It cites past presidents who warned against unlimited global policing: President Richard Nixon’s 1969 remark that “America cannot — and will not — conceive all the plans, design all the programs, execute all the decisions and undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world” “America cannot — and will not — conceive all the plans, design all the programs, execute all the decisions and undertake all the defense of the free nations of the world,” — President Richard Nixon, and President Bill Clinton’s later assertion that the United States

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone notes that worldwide defense outlays reached $2.9 trillion in the most recent year, with global arms sales rising nearly 10 percent outside the U.S. in 2025 and European defense budgets up 14 percent. The commentary interprets these trends as evidence that allies are increasing their own capabilities amid doubts about American commitment.

Rolling Stone

The piece includes a stark quotation attributed to a Muslim interlocutor during Trump’s 2015 campaign: “When can we get rid of them?” “When can we get rid of them?” — Muslims. This exchange is presented as illustrative of the rhetoric that, according to the article, helped reshape the administration’s foreign-policy outlook.

Rolling Stone

According to the analysis, abandoning the post-war order differs fundamentally from reforming it; the former risks “chaos” while the latter could preserve stability. The article warns that the United States’ retreat may prompt a “record-pace” rearmament worldwide, leaving the nation less secure and the international system more volatile.

Rolling Stone