We must maintain our leadership role

To the Editor:
This letter is based on Alan Dowd’s article in the July 2025 issue of the American Legion Magazine. He stated, ” a world without American leadership is a world out of order — and a world out of order is a threat to American interests.” We must maintain our leadership role.
Communist China, Russia, and North Korea pose threats to the US and democracies around the world. Their communist ideologies promote authoritarian rule by decree without any of the freedoms encompassed by democratic governments, especially freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. They do not tolerate dissent, they investigate and prosecute their rivals and foes, and they rule by force and use their secret police and militaries to control their populations. They desire to impose their will by force in the world, e.g., Russia in Ukraine, China in the South China Sea, and North Korea vs. South Korea; and they are expanding their military forces. China now has more naval vessels than the United States.
European countries, Japan, and Australia can provide some deterrence, but the United States is the only country capable of deterring China and Russia. We are the guardian of democracy in the world and have to continue to provide the leadership to prevent communist expansionism and the possibility of WWIII.
Venezuela and Cuba must be carefully monitored for their disruptive activities and thwarted from conducting any expansionism. Iran must also be deterred from its aggressiveness in the Middle East.
Donald Moskowitz
Londonderry, NH