Local letter warns U.S. foreign policy shift could upend global stability

A reader from Big Prairie has cautioned that recent shifts in U.S. national security posture mark a fundamental change in how the country engages the world, and that change could ripple down to communities here in Holmes County.

The concern centers on a national security strategy unveiled on Dec. 4, 2025, that the reader says steps back from longstanding post-World War II institutions such as the United Nations, NATO and the free trade systems that have underpinned global stability for decades. The administration framed the policy shift as necessary to “restore and reinvigorate” America, a slogan the letter’s author says signals a deliberate retreat from the cooperative, rules-based order many nations have relied on.

That strategic shift, the letter continues, became starkly concrete on Jan. 3, 2026, when U.S. forces entered Venezuelan territory to apprehend President Nicolás Maduro. The administration’s subsequent rhetoric — suggesting possible military action in Colombia, Mexico and even Greenland — has heightened worries about a readiness to use force in ways that break with established diplomatic norms.

Taken together, these moves point to a rupture in alliances and practices that have guided U.S. foreign policy for more than seven decades. For Holmes County, the implications are practical and immediate as well as symbolic. Farmers, family-owned manufacturers and Main Street businesses depend on stable supply chains and predictable markets; disruptions to trade relationships or retaliatory measures abroad can translate into price swings at the grain elevator, uncertainty for equipment suppliers, and tighter margins for local employers.

There are also human dimensions for this county. Residents with family ties abroad, veterans and service members, and people who work in international logistics or travel may face sudden changes in consular services, deployment policies or market demand. Beyond material effects, the letter argues, actions that strain alliances can erode U.S. credibility — a currency the nation uses to shape outcomes without force, from trade deals to conflict prevention.

Internationally, the steps raise questions about the legal and diplomatic norms that govern cross-border operations and intervention. Retreating from multilateral institutions or sidelining allies alters incentives for partners and adversaries alike, and could prompt diplomatic, economic or legal responses that affect global stability.

For Holmes County readers, the immediate takeaway is that foreign policy choices made in Washington are not abstract. They affect commodity prices, jobs tied to export markets, the lives of service members in our neighborhoods, and the county’s broader economic health. Stay informed about developments in Congress and at the State Department, and consider reaching out to elected representatives to express concerns about strategy, oversight and the potential local impacts of international actions.

What happens next will matter: debates in Washington over alliances, legal constraints on the use of force, and economic countermeasures abroad will determine whether this moment becomes a turning point or a course correction.