It was a policy George Washington advocated for in his farewell address. Theodore Roosevelt did not wish to pursue it, wanting to use his big stick. It was an ideal Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt were forced to abandon, and Harry Truman sealed its fate with his doctrine in 1947. Isolationism is a position that has had the United States at its beck and call many times in its history. The U.S.'s policies, in the past, revolved around seeking isolationism. And now, since the world can't afford America's non-participation, isolationism is absent from all foreign policy agendas.Though absent, it isn't forgotten. Isolationism is a concept practiced by many countries. Though it is still possible to be engaged internationally, an isolated country's contributions are limited. The pitfalls of its opposite, interventionism, are staggering debts, a military engulfed by and dedicated to putting out fires around the globe, a "bottomless-pit" mentality developed by the media and citizens alike, and other accumulations that can haunt a president, and define his term. Whether these consequences are worth the cause to begin with are up to the government of the country. So far, protecting our interests and the liberties we hold dear have been worth it to the American people. It seems after the first U.S. troops liberated the concentration camps in Europe after years of pacifism and finally a declaration of war, America has never been willing to once again wait to intervene. It is embarrassing that Dante's quote almost applied to Americans. http://www.quoteland.com/topic.asp?CATEGORY_ID=365
For some countries today, this attitude comes across as not only arrogant, but threatening to national pride. It has been my recent experience with a group of German foreign-exchange students that has prompted me to realize how much of an impact America has had on the world, and how much that impact has resulted in contempt. After the Berlin wall fell in 1989, Germany, it seems, broke out of a depression and was ready to embrace the changed world and once again be patriotic. But the world was not ready. The students who are willing to engage in analytical discussion with me explain that in Germany, their patriotism is monitored. Here in America however, they take every opportunity to express German superiority and are eager to downplay American culture. They claim athletic events are not as spirited as they are in Europe. They claim we don't know how to celebrate. At baseball games they cry out that no one in Europe cares about this sport or its players, though that may be true, frankly Americans could care less. At Disneyland, when the crowds are Oohing and Aahing they can't help but shout out "Boring!" at the top of their lungs. At every opportunity, instead of thanking the orchestrators for this opportunity to explore American life, they simultaneously engage in cheers glorifying Deutschland. It seems whenever there is something exhilarating that might be as thrilling as something in Germany, they refuse to admit it or give credit to its excitement.
The cause for this is insecurity. They realize how big a player the U.S. has been in their history in the past 60 years. With the fall of the Berlin wall, this influence has only increased. The clothes these German students wear, the electronics they utilize, the music they listen to, the movies and TV shows they watch, is all American. Hollister, ipods, hip-hop, the Dark Knight, MTV, things that they can't live without, is a dependency they want to hide; and they do it by downplaying in anyway they can everything else American. In a way they are trapped. My impression is that they wish America would mind its own business, and return once more to isolationism. They realize, however, that that would mean a loss in what they see as beneficial (American products and entertainment).
In no way do I think this is the opinion of the entire German people. What i fear, however, is that this emotion of contempt toward the U.S. is felt by a more fearsome foe than this past enemy. The world is catching up to America, that is the inevitable truth. In the future, America will be faced with the decision to either continue its policy of interventionism and accept the mounting consequences, or bow down to our counterparts and embrace a New Isolationism.
