Trump Signals the End of the American Project

Comments from a neighbour to the north.

It doesn’t matter if you support Trump or not. It doesn’t matter if he’s impeached or not. It doesn’t matter if he is re-elected in 2020 or not. It doesn’t matter if he is an genius or an idiot. It doesn’t matter if he is being manipulated by “dark money” or the Russians or Stephen Miller, or nobody.

Trump’s success and enduring support from a significant number of American people signals the decline and inevitable fall of the American project, of the American dream, of American hegemony, and of American exceptionalism (if that ever actually existed).

The new reality has been creeping up on Americans for some time. Those who decried Obama’s lack of success in American foreign policy were merely noticing the impact of a new reality.

Americans increasingly don’t matter that much.

Yes, Americans still have the world’s largest armies. Yes, the American people are still among the biggest consumers in the world on a per capita basis, driven by high per capita incomes and a large population. Yes, the Americans produce and export a disproportionately large amount of entertainment in the form of books, television, movies, and music. Culturally, Americanism and the use of English…