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America's New Isolationism
Townhall.com ^ | September 24, 2013 | Michael Barone

Posted on 09/24/2013 4:59:21 AM PDT by Kaslin

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1 posted on 09/24/2013 4:59:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Then there is the fifth approach to foreign policy.
The Newmanian approach.
It can best be described by looking at an old copy of MAD magazine and Alfred E. Newman.
WHAT ME WORRY? While this is pResident Obama's primary foreign policy approach, it was also used to a lesser degree by both Bill Clinton and George Bush.
2 posted on 09/24/2013 5:08:35 AM PDT by Tupelo (There are no Republicans or Democrats in Washington. Just Millionaires protecting their turf.)
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To: Kaslin

The author lays out four flavors of American foreign policy: Jeffersonian, Hamiltonian, Jacksonian, and Wilsonian. But he has forgotten the fifth flavor, which is quite new, but currently coming into ascendency: Jihadism.


3 posted on 09/24/2013 5:11:21 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
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To: Kaslin

Are we isolationists or scared of what the D.C. stooges are getting us into? Who can be confident In the motives of Washington?


4 posted on 09/24/2013 5:14:09 AM PDT by .45 Long Colt (A sinner can't pay for grace that's free, nor add to work that's complete.)
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To: Kaslin

In the after-math (it elementary) of WWII, the US gave European nations a 20 supply of money under the Marshall Plan. This was eventually replaced starting in 1969 - 1970’s with VAT’s. What Europe did with this money was create SOCIALISM instead of democracy. They have a blended social democracy today, and are pulling back from that towards capitalism. American’s leaders are repeating Europe’s mistake with socialism by printing Money.


5 posted on 09/24/2013 5:21:40 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: Kaslin

I am for killing ALL of our enemies. I am not an isolationist. I do not want to go to war unless it is absolutely necessary and our National Interests are best served doing so. When we go to war... we need to fight like we did in WW II. Total destruction of our enemies. I no longer believe or trust our federal government. I have caught them lying time after time... and that is why I want nothing to do with their manufactured new world order wars.


6 posted on 09/24/2013 5:27:04 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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To: .45 Long Colt

Are we isolationists or scared of what the D.C. stooges are getting us into? Who can be confident In the motives of Washington?


Darn good questions. My own opinion is this, becoming ‘involved’ in the world may have made it ‘seem’ more safe and peaceful. When all it has done is caused anger and resentment worldwide to be partially buried and to ferment to the point where it will explode uncontrollably. Much like an forgotten kimchi jar. (And will smell just as a bad in the end.)

As for us... our own ‘good nature’ and desire to spread wealth and happiness have bankrupted the United States and diluted the culture that had allowed that ‘wealth and happiness’ to be created in the first place. The end result I believe is that there is a worldwide backlash and a inside America backlash all building up and coming together at the same time. And it’s target, justifiably so, is the Federal Government of the United States.

I suppose I could go on and on. But simply put, D.C. has really done a number on a ‘good will’ that we may have once had both nationally and internationally. And I believe it is long past time to bring all of our troops home. If a nation they are stationed in and we are not ‘in-conflict’ with says please leave. We should so so with alacrity and return the bases back to the same condition that we acquired them at the beginning of their leases.


7 posted on 09/24/2013 5:32:59 AM PDT by The Working Man
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To: Tupelo
While this is pResident Obama's primary foreign policy approach, it was also used to a lesser degree by both Bill Clinton and George Bush.

And is the approach of choice for John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

8 posted on 09/24/2013 5:43:54 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: Kaslin; sickoflibs; BillyBoy; fieldmarshaldj; NFHale; GOPsterinMA; stephenjohnbanker

The fourth approach is Jacksonian, named after the victor in the Battle of New Orleans. Jacksonians respond fiercely and with utter determination to attacks on America. Most numerous in the South, they have supplied a large share of America's soldiers -- including to both sides in the Civil War.

In war, Jacksonians insist on the "absolute victory" Roosevelt promised in his Pearl Harbor speech. They are not interested in military involvement in areas where America doesn't seem threatened or in "incredibly small" attacks.

Jackson was a nutcase but put me down for this one.

9 posted on 09/24/2013 6:05:24 AM PDT by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
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To: The Working Man
In the days of Wilson the wording heard was "isolationism" versus "internationism" or "non-interventionism" versus "interventionism" or ... and that the United States simply had a responsibility to the world to ensure the maintenance of "peace."

Others were the phrases such as "American continentialism" as in world trade/economic relationships only.

And, another expression heard, especially after WWII - Perpetual Peace thru Perpetual War.

Seems history repeats, and repeats, ...

10 posted on 09/24/2013 6:28:01 AM PDT by jamaksin
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To: Kaslin

Out of the four schools listed above, I guess I fit best in the Jacksonian camp.


11 posted on 09/24/2013 6:37:55 AM PDT by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (My sweet talk is also savory and creamy.)
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To: Kaslin

For good, for bad or otherwise, the vast majority has bought into this line of “it’s time do to nation building at home” IMO.

I saw it first-hand get an ambulatory turnip like Bob Casey elected. And now it has infested the entire country.

Don’t spend that money in Iraq or Syria, spend it on more benefits for ME.


12 posted on 09/24/2013 6:54:29 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: LibLieSlayer

“When we go to war... we need to fight like we did in WW II.”

I agree with you, however, does this mean that the United States should have demanded the unconditional surrender of France during the Quasi War? Would we now be occupying Canada and Great Britian after fighting the War of 1812? Of course, General Sherman gave the rebels what they deserved under this premise. I suppose he should have burned more Southern cities to be true to WWII?. Would demanding Spain’s unconditional surrender mean that we occupy Madrid? And should we have tolerated another 2-3 million or so dead in order to show the Kaiser who’s boss and occupy Berlin? And on and on....

My only point is that we should recognize that WWII-style wars and victories are the exception in both US and World history.


13 posted on 09/24/2013 9:02:51 AM PDT by Owl558 (Those who remember George Santayana are doomed to repeat him)
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To: Owl558
I'm guessing that the point is: we should fight to win, and perhaps not worry to much about the niceties.

Doesn't mean we have to maximize the barbarity at all times, and it doesn't mean we have to conquer and occupy all adversaries. It just means we kill people and damage property, and we shouldn't apologize for doing so. If our enemies want us to stop doing those things, there is a way to achieve their wish: surrender.

14 posted on 09/24/2013 9:06:21 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (21st century. I'm not a fan.)
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To: DoodleDawg
Speaking generally, the Realists controlled US foreign policy from Nixon thru GHW Bush. Under Clinton the Liberal Interventionists took over and under GW Bush, the NeoCons took over. Some of this change was due to leaving the cold war period and entering the post cold war period

The liberal interventionist democrats and NeoCon republicans are both idealists, they advocate for humanitarianism, nation building, spreading democracy in foreign policy

Obama is a typical democrat prez, his foreign policy team is made up Realists and Liberal Interventionists.

The liberal interventionists and the NeoCons have been wanting to intervene in Syria for a long time. This includes your NeoCon buddies, McCain and Graham. OTOH the Realists were opposed and Obama was opposed.

But the Realists had gradual change to supporting a Syria intervention which forced Obama to change positions.

A good way of measuring this is the Senate Foreign Relation Committee. In May the committee voted 15 to 3 to arm the Syrian rebels. And just recently the committee voted 10 to 8 to bomb Syria.

15 posted on 09/24/2013 9:14:04 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
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To: Owl558
There is a huge difference between going into Belize and going into Iraq, Syria or Libya etc. I stated "when we go to War"... that means a declared war and not a hostage rescue or some needed Military strike or incursion that is small scale... like taking out bin laden or killing our enemies in Yemen.

Those are Military actions... but if we take out iranian nukes then we need to declare War. They have been at war with us since 1979 and they are serious. They have killed many American Military personnel. IF War comes... we need to take take out the persians and devastate their infrastructure. I am talking Dresden here and nothing less. We have not won a war since WWII. Grenada was not a War in the traditional sense although it was War to everyone on the ground there. We won wars by so crushing our enemies that when we arrived with humanitarian aid, they bowed down and were so in need that they welcomed us. This will make despots think long and hard about a threat of War.

16 posted on 09/24/2013 1:07:30 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt’s Generals:
‘How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?’
Foreign Policy | 15 Aug 2013 | John Hudson
Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3055253/posts

Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt’s military — even as Cairo’s security forces massacre anti-government activists.

[by “anti-government activists” is meant church-burning jihadists]


17 posted on 09/25/2013 12:29:07 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Here's the passage at issue:
In the 1980s, the war caucus in Congress armed bin Laden and the mujaheddin in their fight with the Soviet Union. In fact, it was the official position of the State Department to support radical jihad against the Soviets. We all know how well that worked out.
Let's leave aside for now the insulting, utterly asinine, sickening, inexcusable use of the phrase "war caucus" to describe those (including Reagan!) who supported the mujaheddin against the Soviets. That word choice alone is almost entirely disqualifying for its purveyor to ever be president.

Instead, let's just look at a little history here -- because the ignorance evident in this paragraph is truly astonishing. One would be hard pressed to find even a single historian, whether right, left, or center, who would argue anything other than that the Soviet failure in Afghanistan was not just a huge factor, but probably an essential one, in the Soviets' ultimate loss of the Cold War.
[Rand Paul’s Really Ignorant Paragraph | 7 Feb 2013]

18 posted on 09/25/2013 12:29:23 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Barone remains an inside the Beltway moron. (Seriously, go read his trite malarkey on immigration.) You can oppose Syria without being an isolationist.


19 posted on 09/25/2013 11:42:31 AM PDT by rmlew ("Mosques are our barracks, minarets our bayonets, domes our helmets, the believers our soldiers.")
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To: SunkenCiv

Lots of misinfo in the who we funded part.

bin Laden and his ilk were in the south of Afgan and did little more than hide.

The part of the muj that the US had any contact with was in the north. It was those forces that were at war with the Talib when we went in.

The Talib were a straight up invasion of Afh by Pakistan. The Talib were created in Pak, equipped and led from Pak for purposes designed by Pak.

But, none of it matters. We should have just left the huge AQ training bases alone and bent ourselves over and took whatever the 10s of thousands of jihadiscum trained in the Afg AO, with the full support and protection of the Talib like the good little punks we’ve become.

bin Laden was absolutely and undeniably correct in his fatwa issued after our running away from Mog. We are a Paper Tiger and we Have No Stomach for a Long Fight.

Of course, correcting the trend of refusing to finish what we start, or what gets started against us, a rather well established tradition by this point, Jefferson’s quip about the Tree of Liberty needing occasional watering with the blood of tyrants and patriots would have to be put into play here at home. Nearly half our pop have been turned out so hard as punks for the enemy, they’ll back any enemy, any time for any reason.

Treason hath become trendy.


20 posted on 09/25/2013 3:13:32 PM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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