It wasn’t that long ago that the Grand Old Party (GOP) was advocating for free trade and the elimination of tariffs and trade restrictions. The party also advocated for a bi-partisan foreign policy encouraging strong relationships with our allies through alliances like NATO in order to contain Russian aggression.

Now all that seems to be gone. “We are the great United States, we are bigger and smarter than any other nation, and we will tell the world what to do. International leaders and members of military alliances which we helped create need to understand that we are now the boss.”

And, as to free trade, especially here in North America: “Forget about free trade agreements. The United States is going to slap a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, unless they do exactly what we tell them to do.”

Teddy Roosevelt, who, I believe, everyone would concede was a strong and outspoken President–exercised American power by “speaking softly but carrying a big stick.” Now, we speak loudly, brandish the big stick, and tell other countries that we will act for our own benefit regardless of what they think.

All of this is sad to me. This is not the America I grew up with. This is not making America great again. It is the way of banana republics and autocrats.

And, the idea that a clown like Elon Musk, can come into the government with a “meat axe” approach and actually know what he is cutting…is a joke. Apparently, it doesn’t matter that the United States Agency for International Development was created and supported by both Republican and Democratic parties in the past. Now, in the name of government efficiency, it is to be abolished by fiat from Elon Musk and the White House.

What about the program instituted by President George W. Bush to combat the epidemic of AIDS throughout the world? What about food programs when there are famines? Are not American farmers still the “bread-basket” of the world? Does America not care anymore?

Eliminating some programs because they are wasteful or inefficient could be understood, but eliminating an entire agency created by the Congress to address such issues… is just plain wrong.

The GOP now seems to have only one mantra…and that is “follow the leader.” Whatever he says goes. Wherever he leads us, we will follow. It reminds me of the Pied Piper leading a mesmerized crowd over the cliff.

Much of this new approach to government seems to be driven by inflaming fear and discord. Fear has always been an easy sell. Yet, driving wedges between people and nations has not been the American way.

Where it will all end, we don’t know.

One bright spot came last week, when a federal prosecutor with strong Republican credentials, quit her job in the Southern District of New York rather than follow orders from Washington to stop criminal charges against the Mayor of the City of New York. She viewed such orders as blatantly illegal and a violation of legal and judicial ethics.

This is what it will take to turn things around. People, like her, will have to stand up to officials in high places when they are leading us in the wrong direction.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.