No. America first means we put our interests first. If it requires intervention, so be it.
So Bush was doing America First in Iraq (#2), while rolling out the welcome mat for illegals and islamists to come here?
Yet, all the traditional America firsters, in many cases paleocons like me, wanted the exact opposite of Bush (and later, Bushbama).
Exactly. Characterizing “America First” as non-interventionalist by its very nature seems like an intellectual throwback to 1940 because it has a name similar to the “America First Committee” which WAS by its very charter and nature non-interventionalist, but today has a different meaning.
Today, “America First” means putting our interests over the interests of any other country and conducting our affairs in that fashion.
As you said, if it means it is in our best interests not to get involved militarily, then we don’t. If is is in our best interests to do so...we do.
I don’t think it is that complicated. When I see people characterize the sentiment in the 1940’s fashion, that sets off alarm bells for me.