The United States' recent decision to withdraw from 66 international treaties, conventions, and organizations is a stark reflection of the country's increasing isolationism. What's striking about this move is not just the breadth of its rejections, but also the tone with which it has been met - one that dismisses these collective efforts as "irrelevant" to American interests.
It's no surprise that an administration hell-bent on building walls around the US would also erect walls of indifference towards the rest of the world. The image of a physical wall, however, belies the far more insidious barriers that we construct in our daily lives. From fortified homes and neighborhoods to bulked-up cars and trucks, there's a growing sense of individualism and self-reliance that has profound implications for how we engage with others.
One need only look at the conversations I've had over the years with Americans from all walks of life to see this trend in action. A home improvement podcaster, speaking at a 2021 builders convention, framed the value of security technologies as "not your problem." Meanwhile, automotive designers learned that people want their kids to be safe in bigger cars - a chilling insight into how our individual interests can become bound up with those of others.
This growing divide between self and other makes it increasingly difficult to see our own individual pursuits as part of a larger web of relationships. Social and environmental problems are more easily set aside as the concerns of others elsewhere, rather than as matters of shared responsibility. When this divide becomes so stark that it's hard to recognize our interconnectedness with others, efforts to address collective challenges can fall flat.
The rejection of climate diplomacy, for example, is not just a policy decision - it reflects habits of thought that prioritize individual security over collective wellbeing. Our leaders and policymakers seem more interested in catering to powerful lobbies than addressing the pressing issues that require global cooperation.
But here's the reality acknowledged by so many of the global arrangements spurned by our national leadership: our future is tied to the welfare of others beyond our borders. Climate change, economic inequalities, and environmental instabilities all have a direct impact on our own lives - whether we acknowledge it or not.
The problem isn't that we're inherently selfish; it's that we've forgotten how to see ourselves as part of a larger whole. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous phrase about an "inescapable network of mutuality" still resonates today. We need to relearn the value of mutual aid and collective solidarity if we hope to address the complex problems facing our world.
Take the example of clean water activists in Newburgh, New York, who are fighting against contamination from a nearby air base. Their efforts have led them to develop a sense of watershed awareness - recognizing that choices made upstream can affect lives downstream. This is not just about individual rights; it's about building relationships with our environment and each other.
As An African proverb goes: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." We've lost sight of this communal spirit in recent years, prioritizing individualism over collective action. But when we work together, as these Newburgh activists have shown us, we can build something truly remarkable - a future that is bound up with the wellbeing of all people, not just our own.
It's no surprise that an administration hell-bent on building walls around the US would also erect walls of indifference towards the rest of the world. The image of a physical wall, however, belies the far more insidious barriers that we construct in our daily lives. From fortified homes and neighborhoods to bulked-up cars and trucks, there's a growing sense of individualism and self-reliance that has profound implications for how we engage with others.
One need only look at the conversations I've had over the years with Americans from all walks of life to see this trend in action. A home improvement podcaster, speaking at a 2021 builders convention, framed the value of security technologies as "not your problem." Meanwhile, automotive designers learned that people want their kids to be safe in bigger cars - a chilling insight into how our individual interests can become bound up with those of others.
This growing divide between self and other makes it increasingly difficult to see our own individual pursuits as part of a larger web of relationships. Social and environmental problems are more easily set aside as the concerns of others elsewhere, rather than as matters of shared responsibility. When this divide becomes so stark that it's hard to recognize our interconnectedness with others, efforts to address collective challenges can fall flat.
The rejection of climate diplomacy, for example, is not just a policy decision - it reflects habits of thought that prioritize individual security over collective wellbeing. Our leaders and policymakers seem more interested in catering to powerful lobbies than addressing the pressing issues that require global cooperation.
But here's the reality acknowledged by so many of the global arrangements spurned by our national leadership: our future is tied to the welfare of others beyond our borders. Climate change, economic inequalities, and environmental instabilities all have a direct impact on our own lives - whether we acknowledge it or not.
The problem isn't that we're inherently selfish; it's that we've forgotten how to see ourselves as part of a larger whole. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous phrase about an "inescapable network of mutuality" still resonates today. We need to relearn the value of mutual aid and collective solidarity if we hope to address the complex problems facing our world.
Take the example of clean water activists in Newburgh, New York, who are fighting against contamination from a nearby air base. Their efforts have led them to develop a sense of watershed awareness - recognizing that choices made upstream can affect lives downstream. This is not just about individual rights; it's about building relationships with our environment and each other.
As An African proverb goes: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." We've lost sight of this communal spirit in recent years, prioritizing individualism over collective action. But when we work together, as these Newburgh activists have shown us, we can build something truly remarkable - a future that is bound up with the wellbeing of all people, not just our own.
I gotta say, this US withdrawal from international treaties is like, super concerning 
. What's really trippy is how they're dismissing collective efforts as "irrelevant" to their interests. Like, no way, dude! Our global problems are EVERYONE'S problem, not just America's 
. I mean, we're already seeing it in our daily lives - people prioritizing their own security and interests over the greater good. It's like, what's up with that? We need to start recognizing that our individual pursuits are tied to the well-being of others 
. We need to get back on track with global cooperation and mutual aid if we wanna address these pressing issues. It's time to put aside our individual egos and work together as a human community 
and I saw this one ad where they're saying it's "designed for solo riders" but then you can add a trailer to make it for families. It got me wondering if we're really doing ourselves a favor by building all these individual cars 
and not just sharing or borrowing them. And have you seen those new smart locks that are like, super secure but also super expensive 
? I mean, who's it for? Is it just for people who want to be safe all the time? Maybe we should reevaluate what safety really means...
"The earth has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed." 
. It's not just about individual rights, but about building relationships with our environment and each other 
. We need more of that kind of thinking if we want to tackle the big issues facing us today 
. Let's get back to working together if we want to build a better world for all 
.
and then there's the whole build-a-wall thing which just perpetuates that individualism. And what's even crazier is how we're all slowly losing touch with our shared humanity - remember when it was cool to care about what happened in other parts of the world? Nowadays, it feels like everyone's too busy looking out for #1 
But seriously, it’s crazy to think that the country is becoming more isolated and individualistic 
. It feels like people are losing sight of how their actions affect others outside their bubble 
.
. Climate change, economic issues, and environmental problems are all interconnected 
.
. Like, what's next? Are people gonna start thinking they're above the law? 
I know some folks might say, "Hey, we're just trying to protect our own interests," but that's not how it works 
.
.
i mean, what's next? building walls around the internet too? 
it's not all about me vs others, we're all in this together 
.
and instead building these walls around their own problems 
I mean, what's the point of all this progress if we can't work together to tackle climate change or economic inequalities? 
they're showing us that even small actions can add up when we work together 
, but what's got me thinking is how much we're missing out on when we prioritize individualism over global cooperation 
. And that quote about individualism being more important than collective action? Yeah, I've seen that play out in my own life too 
. We need more of that kind of thinking, not less 
.
I'm low-key worried about what this means for the world 
On the other hand, when we come together and support each other, we can achieve some amazing things 
. As my grandma used to say: "we're all connected like threads in a blanket" 