Should America adopt an isolationist policy?

[Riesstiu IV]

What are your opinions on the US adopting an Isolationist policy similar to pre-WWII? In my opinion we should just stay out of world politics altogether. It’s caused America and other nations (Iraq) nothing but grief. So if the majority of the world doesn’t want us interfering then we should stop. We should stop sending aid money overseas and should focus on global trade, improving our domestic economy, and paying off the massive debt. Isolationist America in the 1920’s was a excellent place to be. Strong economy, small military, and everybody didn’t hate us!

 

[AceChilla]

Impossible.

If the electorate wants America to keep having a strong postion in the world then intefering in world affairs is the only option.

At least if you want to have oil to drive your car, want drugs to stay out of your country, want healty trade relationships with other countries, want to fight terrorism abroad and not at home etc.

If you want that (and the people do want that) isolationism isn't an option. Maybe it was in the 20's but not in the 21 century.

 

[newfangle]

Canadian, and I'm for it. They should deal with others only through trade.

As much as I want every despot in this world brought to justice, fewer and fewer people actually want such help.

 

[Wolfe Tone]

Yeah, it worked really well in the 20s and 30s

 

[blindside]

I'd have strongly disagree with you. America is the most powerful nation in the world and has already taken it upon itself to involve itself in world affairs, good or bad. Although most negative things get magnified, the United States has done plenty of positive things to many nations, even those that dislike the US otherwise.

The 1920s US was more isolationist than the current one, but remember hte US still involved itself in international affairs (more in the Americas). What good did this do? It allowed for the rise of Nazi Germany (that would happen in the 30s but domestic issues were very important- Great Depression). The US ignored growing problems and it led up to the most violent decade in human history.
Not everyone saw economic success in the 1920s. It was false because the majority of Americans still lived in poorer conditions. The whole era was glamorized because the rich got very rich and some middle class moved up, while the rest remained the same.

The US has succesfully managed to handle international issues and domestic problems (economy) together. Things aren't SO bad (Great Depression) that we should drop everything. Infact the economy is slowly improving. And the US will never pay of hte massive debt. It can't pay it off, it can prevent defecits but the national debt is an overall collection of defecits. Its unrealistic and not a goal of the US government to pay off the debt.

Finally just because things are bad in Iraq doesn't mean we back out of everything. Perhaps the steps taken to resolve hte issue in Iraq and the region were incorrect but the US has to deal with it somehow.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

@Wolf Tone

Why the long smiley? It really worked well in the 20es and 30es.

 

[CenturionV]

What are your opinions on the US adopting an Isolationist policy similar to pre-WWII? In my opinion we should just stay out of world politics altogether. It’s caused America and other nations (Iraq) nothing but grief. So if the majority of the world doesn’t want us interfering then we should stop. We should stop sending aid money overseas and should focus on global trade, improving our domestic economy, and paying of the massive debt. Isolationist America in the 1920’s was a excellent place to be. Strong economy, small military, and everybody didn’t hate us!

There also was no ICBM's, multi-national terrorist groups, or the internet. Sorry but no, you can't even try and compare the 1920 to now, it was a totally different era in human history up to WWII, things are different, oceans don't protect you now, and america is only a few days (maximum) flight away if some terrorist desides to take a shot at you. Only 1 thing happens if you won't "play" on the world stage, some one else is gonna take you spot and they will be the ones decideing whats gonna happen. But if you guys want, go ahead, be isolationist, don't worry, that will just leave more room for the rest of us to do whatever we want and we can find a new military super-power (china looks like they might be up for the job).

Isolationist governments are just ways of puting aside those hard to deal with problems, and turning a blind eye to them, they don't go away, they just don't get delt with and eventually they explode (See WW2)

 

[blindside]

Originally posted by Aphex_Twin
@Wolf Tone

Why the long smiley? It really worked well in the 20es and 30es.

Yes it worked very well because otherwise those Nazis and Communists won't have been able to rise to power and what a boring world it would be without them!

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Do you honestly believe America could have done something about that?

 

[Hamlet]

No, it would make for a far more dangerous, and a far more unequal state of world affairs for all concerned.

Not only is the principle of isolationism so far for being anything approaching an achievable reality nowadays, due to complex interdepedence, collective security, etc, it's less and less desirable as well.

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

America cannot return to isolationism without abandoning its economy.

 

[LesCanadiens]

America's problems (ie terrorism) are external, not internal. Isolationism would only make them worse.

 

[LesCanadiens]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Strong economy

What? Have we forgotten so soon about the 1929 crash?

 

[newfangle]

Originally posted by LesCanadiens
America's problems (ie terrorism) are external, not internal. Isolationism would only make them worse.

Not that it matters, but you do realize the contradiction in that sentence, don't you?

 

[Hamlet]

Originally posted by newfangle
Not that it matters, but you do realize the contradiction in that sentence, don't you?

Not really. Just because terrorism doesn't originate in state Y, it doesn't mean that it's a problem for state Y.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

I think america should conquer the world and put everyone in their rightful space as inferiors.

Seriously, the US of A can no longer be isolationist. The war on terror must be fought around the globe, though we are at a worse advantage than we were since of the mess Clinton made of Reagon's nice economy. Some may accuse us of imperialism or colonialism, i say to them: MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. There is nothing wrong with a little friendly imperialism. Other nations shouldn't feel bitter that we can be imperial and they can't.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

One can be isolationist and still have a strong economy.

 

[CurtSibling]

So America makes a dog's dinner of some recent campaigns - And Does not win global applause either.

So the answer is to hide in a corner and sulk?

Things don't work like that.

Most people will readily embrace the USA again as soon as the WWF mode is deactivated - And the cowboys leave office.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

It's not hiding in a corner and sulking! More like... retirement once you hit middle age.

 

[CurtSibling]

The USA is great.

The current management is not that good, though.

Things will get better, I am sure.