The North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) has been weakened, the European Union is shrinking, and both our friends and enemies seriously question the  reliability and promises of the United States. American security is consequently threatened. This is not solely the work of Donald Trump. When President Obama declared a “red line” regarding  the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria, expectations were high for the imminent use of American force if the Syrians disregarded American threats. They did. Yet no retaliatory attack arose and the word of the United States was damaged. Thankfully, from the onset of World War II until the present day, that was a rare occurrence.

During the height of the Vietnam War in the mid-to-late 1960’s, President Johnson was steeped in the debate over the costs of the war and setting the parameters for continued American involvement. The one consistent and sensible argument for American entanglement were the promises made to our Asian friends and allies to come to their assistance should they be attacked. This commitment was the foundation for all our treaty alliances, including NATO, and its Asian variant, SEATO, the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization. The former organization remains vital to our security,  while the latter exists, but is rarely called upon..

Today, implicit and sometimes explicit security assurances are rendered, most often in the form of simplistic mutual agreements. For their entire histories as nation-states, both Taiwan and Israel have relied upon such “guarantees.” The Kurds, too, believed that the word of the United States was sacrosanct. Obviously, that was not the case, and its breach will, I believe, severely damage American security and our place in the world.

In a matter of minutes, and at the request of Turkish President Erdogan during a telephone conversation with the President, the Kurds were betrayed. Their position of safety along the Syrian-Turkish border was sacrificed to Turkish demands and Donald Trump’s ignorance about history and American security guarantees. That is the current state of the American security “umbrella.” If it’s leaking, and by how much, are the questions friend and foe alike must judge. Certainly, there are nations—Israel particularly—whose security may depend on their leaders making the correct decision(s) with regard to American guarantees. For at least the next year, Israelis can only pray that there will be no serious Middle Eastern crisis that directly impacts them. Hopefully, the pending election keeps Trump busy with other matters. Please remember all of this when you vote.