Never Trust a Superpower

Time to rethink how you make long term allies

Canada and numerous European countries are starting to realize that it was a massive strategic blunder to assume that the US would always be the “good guy.” We bought into the ridiculous Hollywood mythology the US built for itself.

We have overemphasized the aid the US provided in World War I and World War II. Yet, it should have always been clear that the US has long harbored a darker side: the genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of African Americans, the overthrow of numerous governments around the world, the carpet bombing of North Korea, the prolonged Vietnam War, the unprovoked invasion of Iraq, and the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan. Not to mention the extensive use of torture under George W. Bush.

Had any other country engaged in similar actions, it would have faced massive sanctions and condemnation. But the US was given a free pass—partly because it bailed out Europe in World War II and partly because being aligned with the biggest bully in the room had its advantages.

My point is not to argue that the US is inherently good or bad, but rather that it is a country capable of being both. Yet somehow, Europeans, Canadians, Australians, and other Westerners have built their defense strategies on the flawed assumption that the US will always act benevolently.

Trust Small Countries

One could argue that no country is guaranteed to remain good forever. However, I would contend that smaller nations tend to be more reliable than large ones. Can you imagine Iceland turning fascist and threatening its neighbors? Of course not. It is too small and too dependent on trade and cooperation with others.

This highlights the danger of relying on a superpower for security. A misbehaving small country can be held accountable. A superpower cannot. This applies to any superpower—China has bullied smaller European nations in trade but has not bullied the US. In global politics, strength dictates behavior.

This is why smaller nations must recognize that their security is best ensured through alliances with other small nations. To moderate this point, large European nations like Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy also function reasonably well as allies. Why? Because there are many of them, and none are strong enough to dominate all of Europe.

Nordic countries could align with the Netherlands and Belgium to counterbalance British or French power. But countering the US is far more difficult—its GDP rivals that of all of Europe combined. No country should allow the US or China to control anything of critical importance, such as military infrastructure, healthcare, or food supplies.

One good example of a strategic blunder is covered in Canadian newspaper Ottowa Citizen:

The United States controls many of the key systems onboard Canada’s new warships, allowing the Americans to hold this country hostage over future upgrades or even the provision of spare parts, defence industry officials warn.

The F-35 Lightning II stealth strike fighter is another example of an epic blunder. These are the countries buying the plane: United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Poland, Finland, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Singapore.

Together, they are purchasing around 1,500 planes. Such purchases help prop up the American military-industrial complex, infusing the U.S. with cash to develop the next generation of aircraft. As a result, other Western allies are perpetually left without the financial means or impetus to develop their own planes.