[rollo tomasi]

Jefferson wrote the "entangling alliances" phrase not Washington whose farewell addressed the avoidance of "permanent alliances".

Barbary pirates were clients of the Ottoman Empire and considered a trade problem. Once taken care of, of course the merchant owners made out. Did you want Jefferson to become some sort of totalitarian and confiscate merchants' profits from trading? I don't like paying for roads but like driving on them. Should we confiscate the wealth of all the contractors and builders?

[DIRTYSECRET]

Let’s see. Jefferson OPPOSED to building the Navy? He met Adams and some muzzle bigwig in 1787. Decided he was going to go to war with them should he lead our country. At the time we had no navy.
Sea lanes open? It was James Baker under 41’ who said oil at market prices prompting the left’s ‘no blood for oil’ chant. Others benefit to which we are no longer going to be the world’s chumps-thanks to DJT. 41 put an alliance together at least on paper for those reluctant. Confiscate wealth? No but Trump talked about taking the oil if we do it again. Those contractors would not argue.