From Inspiration to Isolation

In Lahore, where I watch global news unfold, the images from Gaza—shattered homes, grieving families—stream relentlessly on social media. As a Pakistani observer, I see not just a humanitarian catastrophe but a crisis for America’s global standing. The U.S., long a beacon of moral leadership, risks losing its credibility by contradicting its values with its actions.

America’s influence has never been just about military might or economic power. Its soft power—its ideals of freedom and justice, from the Marshall Plan to human rights advocacy—once inspired the world. Yet today, by arming Israel and vetoing UN accountability measures, the U.S. undermines this legacy. Allegations of severe human rights abuses, documented by groups like Human Rights Watch, go unaddressed, eroding the moral framework America once championed.

What sets this moment apart is the era of livestreamed warfare. Every airstrike is broadcast in real time, turning X and other platforms into global courtrooms. From Lahore to Jakarta, people see U.S.-supplied weapons in action, fueling perceptions of complicity. This isn’t Vietnam or Iraq; the world watches instantly, and the verdict is harsh. The United States has never been an innocent country—no nation is. But most of its compromises are either buried in history, corrected over time, or cloaked in justification. This time, it’s different. The brutality is broadcast in real time, the contradictions too glaring, the excuses too hollow to be believed.

At home, America’s commitment to freedom falters. College students protesting Gaza’s plight face arrests, and foreign visitors are detained for minor political speech. As someone from a country where political expression is often restricted, I find this jarring. If the U.S. curbs free speech, what distinguishes it from the regimes it criticizes?

Public sentiment reflects this unease. Polls from April 2025 show 53% of Americans view Israel unfavorably, up from 42% in 2022 (Washington Post, Pew Research). Yet Washington persists, sending billions in military aid to Israel while allocating just $30 million for Gaza’s humanitarian needs—a sum widely seen as inadequate. This imbalance fuels global skepticism about U.S. intentions.

Diplomatically, America stands increasingly alone. Even China and Russia, frequent U.S. rivals, condemn Israel’s actions, while the U.S. blocks UN resolutions. To the Global South, the self-proclaimed guardian of international law looks like its selective enforcer. In the Muslim world, a rare shift is underway: Sunni-majority nations, once U.S. allies, align with Iran against Israel, a realignment unseen since the Iraq invasion. On X, this shift is palpable, with voices from Cairo to Karachi turning away from U.S. influence.

Yet there is still hope—because despite America’s missteps, its ideals continue to resonate. U.S. policymakers must realize that the idea of America—its founding values, democratic aspirations, and civil liberties—remains far more appealing to many across the world, even in some Muslim-majority nations, than the authoritarian models of Russia or China. But to preserve this appeal, the U.S. must align its actions with its values. America’s leadership still has a long way to go, but it is not beyond repair. Unlike China’s worldview, which many see as unsustainable and incompatible with long-term global cooperation, America’s narrative still holds potential—if only it can shed its frustration and recommit to the norms and principles that once made it a moral compass for the world.

Superpowers fall not just from military or economic decline but from losing legitimacy. America’s willingness to confront its past—slavery, Indigenous displacement—once deepened its moral authority. Now, its foreign policy, driven by might over morality, risks making it a power both feared and disdained.

Reclaiming leadership demands courage. The U.S. must hold allies accountable, listen to dissent at home and abroad, and align actions with principles. From my vantage point in Pakistan, I see a world watching, waiting for America to choose: will it restore its moral compass or continue down a path history will judge harshly?