The Bunker – News without the nonsense Donroe vs. Monroe – How Trump’s outlook compares to America’s past
Jan 27, 2026
Jonn Elledge, geographer and author of A History of the World in 47 Borders, explains the Monroe Doctrine and its 19th-century context. He compares historic hemispheric control, Manifest Destiny and US expansion with modern moves like the Greenland row. Short, sharp takes on how past doctrines echo in today’s transactional and unpredictable foreign-policy style.
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Monroe Doctrine Declared A US Hemisphere
- The Monroe Doctrine (1823) asserted the Western Hemisphere as the US sphere of influence and told Europe to stay out.
- The US backed newly independent Latin American states despite not yet being a global superpower.
Manifest Destiny Masked Imperial Expansion
- Manifest Destiny framed US continental expansion as obvious and inevitable and justified wars like the Mexican–American War.
- This ideology masked clear imperialist aggression in the name of destiny.
French Intervention Strengthened US Claims
- European interventions in 19th-century Mexico (e.g. Napoleon III installing Maximilian) reinforced US insistence on regional dominance.
- The US backed Mexican Republicans and pressured France to withdraw, strengthening Monroe Doctrine claims.
