Letter: Trump’s presidential campaign threatens longstanding alliances

The buffoonery of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign now threatens longstanding international alliances.

In an interview, he stated that if a NATO member is threatened, the U.S. would not come to that country’s immediate aid, but would evaluate whether the nation is current in paying its “fair share” before deciding whether to help. Apparently, if Russia masses its tanks on the borders of the Baltic states, our first response would be to pull out the account ledgers and see if we can help them.

This approach violates every foreign policy principle that our country has stood for. Both mainstream Republicans and Democrats agree that the U.S. has a role as the leader of the free world, and we pledge ourselves to be a dependable and stalwart bulwark for our allies. Trump, however, sees foreign policy as a one-dimensional economic transaction. He is an amateur and does not understand the other dimensions to international relations, and he has no desire to learn.

Americans should be able to contrast traditional American principles with the un-American ideas that Trump proposes. Perhaps we can find some common ground to support sensible policies supporting America’s rightful role in the world.

This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 3:57 AM with the headline "Letter: Trump’s presidential campaign threatens longstanding alliances."