Well, howdy there, Internet people it spell again.

So today, we're going to talk about the U.S. recovering from Trump.

We've talked a few times about the United States in a post-Trump world, and whether the decline of U.S. global power that Trump has triggered is

irreversible. I've noted that it depends on a number of factors. That's led to questions and

comments that want an explanation. Like, quote, Belle, love you, but you're wrong.

The world will never look at the U.S. again.

You aren't an ally to us anymore, and I don't see a way back.

And quote, Belle, sometimes I wonder if you don't believe in your own brand of American exceptionalism.

The U.S. has torched trading partners and disregarded its allies. What makes you think European countries or Canada will ever view you as an ally again?

History. History mostly.

The speed at which nations forget the past is remarkable when interests align.

Regardless of the current state of play, which is undeniably damaging the United States,

the U.S. is a massive market with a massive economic footprint.

It has a large military footprint and its cultural exports are dominating. You can argue whether

or not these things are good or deserved, but the fact is that they exist. Trump is rapidly degrading

U.S. power in just about every way imaginable, but his behavior and the behavior of the

Republicans who allowed it are incredibly unlikely to lead to the U.S. being treated as a pariah nation for long.

To show you how quickly nations forget about the past when interests align, I'm going to go to the

most extreme example in modern history. Italy allied with Germany during World War II. World War II ended in Europe on May 8th,

1945. Do you know what happened on April 4th, 1949? Italy became a founding member of NATO. Less than four years. Not even a full U.S. presidential term.

What about Germany itself? How long until West Germany became a full-blown ally of the West?

About 10 years. To show this isn't just something related to Europe. On the other side of the world,

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