The Abandonment of Ideals: How Felonious Punk’s UNESCO Withdrawal Betrays America’s Founding Promise

The stark image of an empty chair at the global table, a void where the United States once sat, is more than just a diplomatic absence. It is a profound betrayal of ideals, a chilling abandonment of America’s founding promise. For the third time in its history, the U.S. is withdrawing from UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency. This isn’t just another bureaucratic move; it’s a deliberate act of self-sabotage, a retreat from the very principles that once defined American leadership.

UNESCO is not here for us. As a member of the United Nations, we have the right to be a member or not. There are plenty of countries that are not members. But the whole reason for the U.S. joining in the first place was to set a strong example that free countries must help other countries be just as free. There once was a popular notion that worried a free country in a world that is not free would not stay free for long. Therefore, we were ambitious, almost to the point of being evangelical about spreading Democracy. We wanted EVERYONE to enjoy the same freedoms, the same rights, and the same richness as we did. Felonious Punk’s administration’s third withdrawal from UNESCO is not merely a policy decision; it is a cynical abandonment of America’s historical commitment to global freedom and democratic ideals. Driven by a narrow, isolationist “America First” ideology and a profound ignorance of its own history, this move actively undermines international cooperation, cedes global influence to rivals, and betrays the very principles that once defined U.S. leadership, paving the way for its own potential decline.

The Abandonment of a Promise: America’s Retreat from Global Leadership

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was formed in the wake of World War II, dedicated to “strengthening our shared humanity through the promotion of education, science, culture, and communication.” Its very Constitution opens with a profound truth: “That since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” The United States was a founding member, with the first American member of UNESCO’s governing board even writing this powerful preamble. This was a commitment to spreading democracy, to fostering peace not through military might alone, but through shared knowledge, cultural understanding, and collective human endeavor.

This was the historical ideal: a nation that, having secured its own freedoms, felt a moral imperative to help everyone else enjoy the same. We wanted everyone to enjoy the same freedoms, the same rights, and the same richness as we did. This was the core of post-World War II U.S. foreign policy, a strong example that free countries must help other countries be just as free.

Yet, this ideal has been subjected to a relentless “roller coaster of shame.” The U.S. first withdrew under President Ronald Reagan in 1984, citing mismanagement and a perceived leftward political bent. It rejoined under President George W. Bush in 2003. The Obama administration stopped funding in 2011 after UNESCO admitted Palestine as a full member, leading to hundreds of millions in arrears. Then, during his first term, Felonious Punk pulled the U.S. out again in 2017, citing alleged anti-Israel bias. The Biden administration, recognizing the vacuum created, rejoined in 2023, largely due to concerns about rising Chinese influence. Now, in 2025, Felonious Punk 2.0 pulls us out again. Our representative’s chair needs to be on rollers, symbolizing not just bureaucratic habit, but a nation’s unsteady retreat from its own ideals. This is part of a broader “America First” retreat from multilateralism, with Felonious Punk also ordering withdrawals from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris Agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council.

The Ignorance of History: A “Steaming Pile of Horseshit”

The administration’s justifications for this latest withdrawal are a steaming pile of horseshit, rooted in a profound ignorance of history and a cynical manipulation of language. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly claims UNESCO supports “woke, divisive cultural and social causes” and a “globalist, ideological agenda.” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce cites Palestine’s admission as “highly problematic” and accuses UNESCO of an “outsized focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”

But this is a smokescreen. Since Reagan, I’m not sure anyone in the GOP has related to that idea of spreading democracy through global cooperation. They have this absolutely ridiculous idea that we somehow pulled ourselves up and made Democracy work with no one’s help. That’s a steaming pile of horseshit, and I’m sure the French would be the first to object, given their pivotal role in America’s own fight for independence.

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay “deeply regretted” the decision, directly refuting the administration’s claims. She pointed out that UNESCO is the only UN agency responsible for Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism, directly contradicting the “anti-Israel bias” accusation. Azoulay argues that the reasons given for withdrawal are the same as seven years ago, despite the situation having “changed profoundly,” with political tensions having receded and UNESCO now serving as a “rare forum for consensus.” She also highlighted that UNESCO has prepared for the financial hit, having diversified its funding, with U.S. contributions now representing only 8% of its budget.

The Cost of Abandonment: Ceding Influence, Inviting Decline

The consequences of this cynical abandonment are severe and self-defeating. By withdrawing, the U.S. is actively ceding ground to its rivals. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) rightly calls it “short-sighted and a win for China,” which became UNESCO’s largest financial contributor after Felonious Punk’s last withdrawal. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY) warns that this decision “cedes more ground to U.S. competitors, especially China, who will take advantage of America’s absence to further shape the international system in their favor.” This is particularly critical in areas like responsible AI development, where France, for example, actively supports UNESCO’s work.

Beyond geopolitical influence, the withdrawal undermines crucial global efforts. UNESCO’s work includes safeguarding biodiversity, preserving invaluable World Heritage Sites (including U.S. landmarks like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty), advancing education access through initiatives like the Education 2030 agenda, and protecting “intangible cultural heritage” like artisanal know-how. The U.S. withdrawal deals a direct blow to these collective endeavors.

The ultimate consequence is chilling: America’s own potential decline. We are one of the richest countries in the world. If we don’t help UNESCO now, if we abandon our responsibility to foster global freedom, knowledge, and peace, we have no right to go begging when the U.S. eventually falls, and it will. A nation that abandons its ideals and international responsibilities risks its own future, eroding the very foundations of its power and influence.

Reclaiming the Promise – Before It’s Too Late

Felonious Punk’s UNESCO withdrawal is a cynical act driven by a narrow, isolationist ideology, betraying America’s historical promise of global leadership and democratic spread. It is a profound moral and ethical chasm between the enduring grace of the King family and the petty opportunism of the White House.

The U.S. has a moral obligation, rooted in its own founding, to support international cooperation and the spread of freedom and knowledge. We must demand a reversal of this self-defeating policy. We must reassert U.S. leadership not through isolation, but through engagement and shared values. The chair on rollers symbolizes not just a bureaucratic habit, but a nation’s unsteady retreat from its own ideals. We must remember that a free country in a world that is not free will not stay free for long. The fall, if it comes, will be a consequence of our own choices, a self-inflicted wound born of ignorance and arrogance. The time to reclaim America’s promise is now, before it’s too late.