CHAUTAUQUA–Oren Cass is the chief economist at the American Compass.

But, he notes, he’s not an economist in the sense of having an economics degree or writing papers about economics.

Meanwhile, Dennis Wilder, a professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C., is a former senior American intelligence officer and policymaker.

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Delivering the July 25 morning-amphitheater lecture at Chautauqua Institution, Cass rightly recalled Americans’ buying inexpensive steel from steel manufacturers in a particular country.

The country happens to be Japan, yet for our purposes here, it could be any country.

The Japanese don’t buy–or don’t buy much–U.S. steel, yet they did want to buy U.S. Steel.

Do you see the difference?

The difference is this: They don’t want to buy American-made steel, yet they wanted to buy the American steel manufacturer called U.S. Steel.

Now let’s take Japan out of this equation.

It’s one thing for foreigners to own a manufacturer less consequential to the economic and military security of the United States.

Let your imagination run across the gamut of whatever unnecessary gadgets come to mind.

It’s another thing entirely for foreigners to own a manufacturer that is quite consequential–thank you very much–to the economic and military security of the United States.

Even if foreigners are from a country with which the United States has a treasured friendship, it’s not in the interest of the United States–particularly the economic or military interest of the United States–to have foreigners in control of American steel manufacturing.

History has taught the United States that a friendship today is not necessarily a friendship tomorrow.

Or next week.

Or next month.

Or next year.

Or next decade.

Or next generation.

Does that mean any particular United States friendship with any particular country will deteriorate?

No.

Yet it does mean caution is in order.

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And not just with respect to steel.

Think of another product of which the United States doesn’t manufacture much: Antibiotics.

According to reports, the United States buys most of its antibiotics from the People’s Republic of China, or PRC.

Which means the PRC–and therefore the Chinese Communist Party–can control the flow of antibiotics into the United States.

Yet no matter which country controls the flow, it’s not in the interest of the United States not to manufacture sufficient antibiotics.

Imagine what could ensue if any country significantly cut down the flow of antibiotics to the United States and American manufacturers couldn’t restore it.

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Speaking at the July 26 Chautauqua Women’s Club’s contemporary-issues forum, Wilder rightly credited the Bush 41 administration, particularly then-President George Bush 41 and General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the conduct of the Gulf War.

In short, Wilder recalled that the United States assembled a coalition of many countries, went in with overwhelming force, and concluded the war in 100 hours.

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Wilder also recalled that the United States has 125 bases in 80 countries.

With that, let’s pick up where we left off five weeks ago: “The hard truth is that in this unpleasant world there are sometimes unpleasant tasks that (1) need accomplishing and (2) will be accomplished only if America accomplishes them.

“Eight decades have passed since the end of World War II. You, faithful reader of this column, have long understood reasons for urging our allies’ continually to bear their share of world leadership.”

Let’s assume there need to be 125 bases in 80 countries. That could well be true.

How much of that 125-in-80 burden in treasure and blood are America’s allies bearing?

If the answer is “not much,” or something to that effect, then the next question is: What are they doing to increase their share of world leadership–in treasure and blood–that they bear?

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Randy Elf invites you to consider who in the United States government thoroughly gets this and is doing something about it.

COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY RANDY ELF