Letters from an American The Change in the World Order
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Mar 27, 2026 A look at how recent U.S. actions are reshaping the global balance of power. Discussion of U.S. alignment with authoritarian oligarchs and shifting alliances. Examination of Saudi and Israeli influence on strikes against Iran. Analysis of how moves in the Middle East affect Russia, Ukraine, and global sanctions. Questions about presidential war powers and Congress’s exclusion from major decisions.
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Postwar Order Underwritten By The US Has Ended
- Singapore's Vivian Balakrishnan says the US underwrote a postwar global order rooted in multilateralism and sovereign equality for 80 years.
- He argues that under Trump the US has become a revisionist power, eroding norms that enabled decades of prosperity, illustrated by Singapore's rise from $500 to ~$85,000 per capita GDP.
Trump Aligning The US With An Oligarchical Axis
- Heather Cox Richardson cites Timothy Snyder saying Trump aligns the US with international oligarchs like Putin, Orban, MBS, and Xi.
- That alignment effectively associates US foreign policy with authoritarian actors and abandons democratic allies and norms.
Iran Strikes Prompted By Allies And Financial Ties
- Reporters say Trump launched strikes on Iran at the urging of MBS and Netanyahu despite US intelligence finding no imminent threat.
- The episode notes Jared Kushner's ties to Saudi money, including a $2 billion PIF investment and $110M in payments since 2021.