Kristopher Purnell sits down with Renaldo McKenzie of The Neoliberal Round to share the news of his nomination to the Honors Society. He is a Benjamin High School Student that has been growing and excelling academically amidst the challenges of growing up in Philadelphia as a teenager navigating the myriads of challenges.

His parents gave us permission to interview him and to share his story as a young man which may inspire other youngsters.

We hope he wins the award but it he does not win, he is already winning in life and wish for him the best.

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The United States is finding itself increasingly isolated as the conflict with Iran deepens. Key allies in Europe and elsewhere have shown little appetite for endorsing or joining Washington’s military course, and European officials have publicly stressed diplomacy over escalation. Reuters reported on March 17, 2026 that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for a diplomatic solution around the Strait of Hormuz rather than a military response.

At the same time, reporting indicates that U.S. efforts to rally allied support have largely been rebuffed. AP reported that NATO and several major partners, including Japan, Australia, South Korea, and China, declined to join the U.S. effort tied to the conflict, while European leaders distanced themselves from Trump’s unilateral approach.

That leaves Washington trying to defend not only the war itself, but the way it began. Critics argue that the United States has not publicly demonstrated that Iran posed an imminent threat warranting attack, and they point to the lack of broad international backing, the absence of consultation with Congress and allies, and the fact that diplomacy with Iran had not fully run its course. Those are now central arguments in the global debate over whether the strikes were lawful, strategic, or reckless. Some critics and diplomats have gone further, suggesting the action violated international norms, though such legal claims remain accusations and would ultimately depend on formal international findings rather than political rhetoric alone.

President Trump, meanwhile, appears to be walking a narrow and rather windy ridge. Even as he pressed allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, he also signaled that the U.S. could go forward without them. That contradiction has only amplified the impression of a White House scrambling to justify both the war and its growing diplomatic costs.

What makes this moment so ominous is not only the violence, but the political isolation surrounding it. If the United States continues down a path of unilateral warfare while alienating the allies it never properly consulted, it risks turning a regional conflict into a broader crisis of legitimacy. Great powers often say they are saving the world; history, with a raised eyebrow, usually asks for receipts.

If you want this same piece turned into a tighter op-ed, a letter to the editor, or a social media caption thread, I can shape it into that form too.

This article was published in The Neolberal Journals and written and narrated by Renaldo McKenzie, Editor-in-Chief at The Neoliberal and Creator and Host of The Neoliberal Round

Article Link: https://theneoliberal.com/a-war-without-allies-trump-struggles-to-garner-nato-support/

David Grant continues sharing his story with Renaldo McKenzie in What’s Your Story, an installment series on The Neoliberal Round Podcast, now a non-profit media organization dedicated to providing information and public discourse.

The interview was recorded in four parts, and this episode represents the final chapter—Part 23.4—of What’s Your Story featuring Rev. David Grant.

Rev. Grant is the author of a deliverance workbook entitled Closing the Doors and is the Co-Founder and President of Odigia Global (odigiaglobal.org). Originally from Jamaica, he previously served as Lead Pastor of the Jamaica Evangelistic Center, a major Pentecostal denomination in Jamaica. He was mentored by the late Bishop V.T. Williams, a towering figure in Pentecostalism known for his ministry in deliverance and healing throughout Jamaica and the Americas.

Having relocated to the United States just over a year ago, Rev. Grant is now developing his ministry here and reflects on his journey, calling, and experiences in this concluding conversation.

Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the interview are also available on the podcast:
What’s Your Story – Part 23.1, 23.2, and 23.3.
This episode completes the series with Part 23.4.

Rev. Renaldo C. McKenzie, host of The Neoliberal Round Podcast, is the author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance, and the upcoming book Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered: Unfair Competition and the Death of Nations, scheduled for release in April 2026.

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Phone: 445-260-9198