Washington was no isolationist, but a realist, and his statement about "entangling alliances" is usually quoted completely out of context. He was writing at a time when the Republicans (Jefferson's party) wanted to side with the French, and the extreme Federalists sympathized with Britain. Adams was strongly in favor of a navy to protect our interests, esp. against the French. The Republicans sounded a lot like today's loony libertarians.
The OP shows that anyone who wants to carry on peaceful trade better have a strong military. A nation's trade is inevitably attacked in time of war. Our greatest potential enemy, China, is behaving like all the great powers of the past, trying to sew up access to vital raw materials and potentially deny them to us, not engaging in wishful thinking that "free market magic" will always get them what they need.
Or Ron Paul Republicans? Is there a difference?
We might note that, once in office, President Jefferson was as internationalist, interventionist and expansionist as any president in history. Witness the First Barbary War and the Louisiana Purchase.
Well, as they say, “ A stern chase is a long chase.”.
I think their sails were “wing and wing”, set to catch any
hint of air.
Great Painting.