During the seven decades after the end of World War II, only two military super powers (U.S.A. and U.S.S.R.) and one economic super power (U.S.A.) existed. Previously both nations had controlled their military alliances and much of the world’s trade. The rest of the world was a loose confederation of quasi-non-aligned nations that played one power against another. Today, the world is basically divided up among the three military super powers.

Currently the world has only two economic super powers (U.S. and China) with China being the second temporarily. Temporarily, because we are retreating into isolation allowing China to move into the growing vacuum. We are turning our backs on our traditional partners and in many cases they are being offended by presidential statements. Many countries have already changed their trading alliances. Trade alliances allow for more than just trade. Three new Chinese trading partners are Cuba, Mexico, and Canada.

In the Pacific, we had worked out an alliance with Japan, Australia, Philippines, Canada, and several smaller countries to counter China’s trade pact. Now those countries are going to join the China pact after Trump backed out of TPP!

Economic power is translatable to military power because trade is usually the basis of all military alliances. Soon our isolationist policies will mean the world has only one economic super power and for the first time in nearly a century — it won’t be the United States.