It’s no secret that America is in a post-Constitutional order.
For the past century, the country has been marked by unprecedented expansions in the size and scope of the state. And it’s not just at the domestic level.
The US government has wildly overstepped its boundaries on matters of foreign affairs in this time period.
Not only has it waged wars that go against the national interest, it has also had the country enter entangling alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
This went against the realist wisdom of the Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, the US has largely deviated from that model and has become just another empire.
However, politicians like Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie want to change all of that and remind Americans of the constitutional roots that made the country the freest and stablest polity in human history.
In light of the Russo-Ukrainian War, there has been talk about the US potentially being launched into this war due to its NATO commitments. This is particularly salient with talks about adding Sweden and Finland into the NATO fold. This could potentially have America come to Finland’s defense based on Article V commitments in the case it were attacked by Russia.
Massie dropped some sober wisdom on May 14, 2022 about treaties and how the US cannot be fully shackled to them:
“Treaties don’t override our Constitution.
If a treaty purports to supersede our Constitution, that treaty is unenforceable.
It’s seditious to promote the idea that a President and 67 Senators have license to void the Constitution or any of our laws.”
Treaties don’t override our Constitution.
If a treaty purports to supersede our Constitution, that treaty is unenforceable.
It’s seditious to promote the idea that a President and 67 Senators have license to void the Constitution or any of our laws.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 14, 2022
Indeed, the US needs to realize that some of the treaties and alliances it has entered into do not advance its interests and put the country at risk of being involved in brutal conflicts. Going back to the country’s constitutional roots is a good way to restore some foreign policy sanity.
At the same time, we shouldn’t ignore practical arguments that demonstrate the stupidity of entering a conflict with a nuclear power.
One thing is clear though: America’s current foreign policy trajectory is unsustainable.
