Robert Robb is an isolationist and regularly in his columns underlines his view that our troops stationed around the world should come home and that the countries from which they withdraw should pay for their own defense. It is not America's job, he claims, to defend other countries. The argument, going back to the Monroe doctrine, is as old as the Republic. Before WW1 and WW2 Americans attended large popular rallies calling for isolationism from the struggles going on the Asia and Europe. Isolationism is an easy doctrine to support. We saved American lives and money in the short run. Because of the new economic interdependence, global politics are now more complex, more fraught with pitfalls than ever before. China is on the march. Russia wishes us harm. By assassinating a popular general, Iran is a confirmed enemy. If any of them were to decide to release a dirty bomb on US soil, we will need friends. The threat of nuclear disaster looms over the fate of mankind.

This latest pandemic, along with the ever growing climate crisis, should be teaching us that we cannot go into isolation and shut ourselves off. This is the only planet we have. One country's pollution ends up in someone else's backyard. One country's virus can hop on a plane from anywhere. Just as importantly, we must have friends and allies globally who can be our ears and eyes on the ground. They look to us for support ever more nervously now that the President puts America first and has lost interest in supporting traditional allies. By withdrawing our forces we create a political vacuum and we force those friends to make choices. Would it be in their economic and political interests to ally themselves with the enemies of America? Will China put the squeeze on Singapore as they are doing with Hong Kong and will do with Taiwan? Surely we learned from 9/11 that ignoring threats from overseas, allowing countries to nurture terrorism makes America vulnerable to attack? It is in our interests to cement our relationships with our allies. We need to listen and negotiate, not withdraw unilaterally as we have just done.

America's greatness is to set the example. Students from overseas flock to be educated in the US. We should be proud of that. Our Universities are some of the best in the world and attract the best minds. Our inventiveness and entrepreneurial skills have kept us in the lead of the technological revolution. This is where we should be and the power and might of our military attests to that greatness. But we have also to be a moral force for change. Totalitarian dictatorships, communist or fascist, brought death and horror and untold suffering in the 20th century. Having our troops on the ground around the world tells the world that concentration camps, internecine hatreds, denial of liberty and free speech will be fought against by Americans. 500,000 Americans laid down their lives to defend democracy in WW2. We cannot let that go to waste. This is our unique gift to the world. Every American soldier exemplifies that ideal. Americans do not withdraw. We lead. It is too important for everyone's safety.