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To: MamaTexan
Why does everyone, quoting Washington's farewell address first always leave out he was very specific in his reference to a specific civil war going on, and even made the following statements to clarify his position that it was NOT to be meant a broad statement of policy:

...Taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand; neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing (with powers so disposed, in order to give trade a stable course, to define the rights of our merchants, and to enable the government to support them) conventional rules of intercourse, the best that present circumstances and mutual opinion will permit, but temporary, and liable to be from time to time abandoned or varied, as experience and circumstances shall dictate; constantly keeping in view that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another; that it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character; that, by such acceptance, it may place itself in the condition of having given equivalents for nominal favors, and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion, which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard. In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But, if I may even flatter myself that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good; that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism; this hope will be a full recompense for the solicitude for your welfare, by which they have been dictated.

He didn't warn against all, he warned against permanent alliances that bring in undue influence. He also encouraged trade alliances, but most importantly, he encouraged alliances for extraordinary emergencies.

61 posted on 01/12/2009 2:54:15 PM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling
Why does everyone, quoting Washington's farewell address first always leave out he was very specific in his reference to a specific civil war going on

No, noninterference in the sovereign affairs of other nations WAS his policy. This is in accordance to the Law of Nations as enumerated in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 10 of the US Constitution.

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He didn't warn against all, he warned against permanent alliances that bring in undue influence. He also encouraged trade alliances, but most importantly, he encouraged alliances for extraordinary emergencies.

While Washington gave a caveat for temporary alliances due to an emergency, he made his feelings on the matter quite plain:

constantly keeping in view that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another; that it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character; that, by such acceptance, it may place itself in the condition of having given equivalents for nominal favors, and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation.It is an illusion, which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard.

70 posted on 01/12/2009 3:30:33 PM PST by MamaTexan (Regulating your way to Freedom is like trying to Spend your way to Prosperity)
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