American Power Is Becoming Increasingly Difficult to Reconcile With Life in America
Edited by Yiannis Damellos
Illustrations: IntellAIgence - AI-generated art & digital creativity
August 19, 2026
America isn't necessarily becoming poorer; rather, it's experiencing a growing disparity in who reaps the benefits of its vast wealth and who bears the burden of sustaining its power.
Donald Trump has spent much of his second presidency reminding America's allies that the United States carries an enormous share of the Western world's military burden. At NATO, he has repeatedly complained that America is getting too little in return, while demanding that allies spend more on defense. There is an obvious argument to be made for burden-sharing. But there is another question — one that is rarely asked with the same force: What does American power actually buy the American people?