Thanksgiving is a time for friends and families to be happy to be with some and reflect on those unable to be with us. We value the people we can depend on and hope they find us dependable. This interaction forms much of our human relationships. This fact got me thinking about the relationships between nations. How good a friend are we at a national level? Could we be better?

The record is decidedly mixed. The Marshall Plan revived Europe. We befriended our enemies Germany and Japan with excellent results. The Anglosphere resembles a family. On the other hand, our efforts in Latin America have yet to do as well.

Since our fleeing Saigon Saigon, our loyalty and support for comrades in arms may give our friend pause. Many of those banking on our presence to ease the arduous progress to a modern democratic state in Afghanistan were left watching the last planes take off without them. 

Ukraine only started to receive military aid after Russia invaded. If delivered in a timely fashion, advanced armaments could’ve rocked the Russians.,but it’s only delivered late. F16 fighters are just now on the schedule. Abrams tanks have yet to see the battlefield. We’ve been acting slowly from day one. This reluctance leaves us to wonder if the U.S. wants victory for Ukraine. A long war favors the larger Russia.