My neck of the woods endured a hurricane a couple of years ago. It was a somewhat small one as hurricanes go, but there was a great deal of damage nonetheless. Fences fell over and tree limbs landed on the roofs of cars. Sometimes entire trees fell across streets blocking anyone from either entering or exiting. Electricity was out all over town leaving food to go bad while waiting for the repairmen to do their magic. 

Having been taught to find the goodness even in times of great stress I could not help but notice how everyone in the neighborhood worked together to help each other. That tree in the road was gone within hours because people came from all around with their chainsaws and determination to be neighborly. There were outdoor gatherings with everyone sharing the roasted meats that were cooked before the prime cuts would be ruined from lack of refrigeration. Those of us with generators opened the doors of our homes to create cooling stations for those who were enduring the heat. A spirit of cooperation and genuine concern overtook the anxieties of loss. 

Nobody complained that some among us should have invested in preventive measures like keeping trees trimmed or installing generators. Nobody worried that there the older neighbors were less able to put in the needed labor. No one grinched that everyone should have purchased their own chainsaws rather than depending on others to have one in a time of need. We pulled together to do whatever had to be done and never noticed if the people we were helping looked like us or had views like our own. It was a natural reaction to help without worrying about some kind of rule of fairness. It was a wonderful time to be a neighbor. 

I think about such things when I see men and women representing the highest offices in the United States with chips on their shoulders. It feels as though they are pandering a whole new philosophy of cooperation based solely on what’s in it for us. It is a very selfish view of the world in which Trump’s minions insist that there is going to be a new world order based only on how it will profit us. In this new view it is going to be every man, woman or country for themselves. Help will only be available to those who are willing to pay us back tit for tat. It is a kind of business deal based on what other nations are willing to give us rather than our intention of working together for the security of all. 

I truly do not understand why the Trump administration is so boldly trashing our long time relationships with Europe and members of NATO and the United Nations. There seems to be a strange idea of carving out the world into three parts dominated by Russia, China and the United States as though only the leaders of those nations should be able to dictate how things are going to be. It is certainly audacious and in many ways unhinged. It forgets the role of history and how the United States became as powerful as it now is. 

Few people who endured World War II are still alive. Those who grew up in the aftermath saw a world torn apart save for the United States which was unscathed compared to every other place on earth. Europe was in ruins, financially broken and in need of being rebuilt. Enter the United States whose infrastructure was intact and ready to take on the task of producing all sorts of things that would propel the American economy into the strongest in the world. While everyone else was busy cleaning up the mess, our nation was raking in the profits of business that shored up our reputation and our bank accounts. The American way of life prospered after World War II with our economy sending more and more citizens into the middle class. 

Of course we sent help to Europe and that was one of the best things that we might have done. It was important for the devastated countries to get back on track. Leaving them to their own resources more than likely would have made them vulnerable to authoritarians rather than helping their democracies to grow. It worked out to the benefit of all and much later would insure that in times of need we would have allies on which we might also rely.  

This arrangement has not been without problems. Nothing is ever one hundred percent perfect, but there has never been a need to tear it all down simply to enrich our coffers. It makes us look more like a mob whose bosses threaten anyone who does not pay for protection. It’s an ugly philosophy that demeans nations that were once our steadfast friends. 

It irks me that Trump and his representatives are making demands that will do little more than continue to enrich the wealthiest Americans while at the same time tarnishing our reputation in the world. I know all too well that we have no right to brandish a “holier than thou” attitude because we have never been without our own faults just as our European neighbors have aspects that should be repaired. Still, getting along in the world requires trust and a true spirit of working together so that everyone has a shot at feeling secure.

We’ve tried the robber baron attitude before and it did not work because it flies in the face of human nature. It’s time we, the citizens, demand that Trump et al work in concert with the people who have had our backs for a very long time. Together we are all better.