Letter of the Day | A divided America, a dangerous world

THE EDITOR, Madam:

For much of its modern history, the United States has projected itself as a guarantor of international stability and a defender of a rules-based global order. Today, however, that image is increasingly strained by deep internal polarisation, renewed talk of national fracture, and an aggressive geopolitical posture that, together, pose a serious threat to world peace.

America has flirted with the idea of dismantling itself before. In the early 19th century, New England leaders, angered by the War of 1812, spoke openly of separation. In the 1830s, South Carolina’s nullification doctrine asserted a state’s right to defy federal law. These ideas reached their bloody climax in the secession crisis of 1860–61 and the Civil War – an explicit attempt to break apart the union. The lesson was unambiguous: disunion bred catastrophe.

In response, the United States undertook deliberate efforts to strengthen its constitutional order. The Reconstruction amendments redefined citizenship, expanded federal authority, and sought to anchor the nation in shared rights rather than sectional power. Later, the US Supreme Court affirmed that the union was not a voluntary club, but a permanent constitutional compact. Historically, American renewal has come not from separation, but from recommitment to common principles.

Yet, today, old ghosts have returned in new language. Movements promoting ‘Calexit’, ‘Texit’, or even a so-called “national divorce”, periodically capture public attention. While these initiatives have no legal path to success, they reveal a troubling erosion of shared civic purpose and a willingness to imagine fragmentation as a political solution.

CENTRAL LESSON

This internal instability would be concerning enough on its own. It becomes far more dangerous when paired with America’s unmatched global power. The United States maintains extensive military reach, nuclear capabilities, and decisive influence over global finance and international institutions. When such a state appears unpredictable, dismissive of multilateral norms, or inclined to settle disputes through coercion, the consequences ripple far beyond its borders.

A divided or inwardly embattled superpower does not retreat harmlessly from the world; history shows it often projects its tensions outward. Polarisation at home can encourage belligerence abroad, erode diplomacy, and weaken international law.

For smaller states, particularly in the Caribbean and the wider Global South, this volatility threatens trade, development, climate cooperation, and regional stability.

The central lesson of American history remains relevant today: efforts to dismantle the union have only deepened violence, while periods of progress emerged from unity, restraint, and constitutional fidelity. In an interconnected world, the stakes are now global. A United States at war with itself, or intoxicated by raw power, is no longer just an American concern – it is a danger to world peace.

DUDLEY MCLEAN II

dm15094@gmail.com