The 110th Congress should recognize that
The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign
nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as
little political connection as possible."
— Washington, Farewell Address (1796) [Washington’s emphasis]
I deem [one of] the essential principles of our
government, and consequently [one] which ought to shape its
administration,…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all
nations, entangling alliances with none.
— Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (1801)
"Isolationism"
Exposing the
True Isolationists by Ron Paul
From Advocates
for Self-Government:
"Isolationism" has
many negatives. For decades in America, "isolationism" has
been a smear word. In many circles it is associated with hostility
towards foreign nations and cultures, nativism, and ignorance.
And in fact, many U.S.
isolationists in the past weren't just for political non-intervention.
They wanted to restrict trade and travel. To build a "wall"
around America, creating a so-called "Fortress America." Some
even felt America should be totally self-sufficient: trading with no
one.
None of that, of course, has
anything to do with libertarian foreign policy views. Libertarians favor
free trade, the freedom to travel, diplomacy, and lively and ongoing
cultural interaction with people worldwide.
A far better word for this is
"non-intervention." Libertarians are
"non-interventionists."
That's still a clumsy word,
unfortunately, and it is better understood when coupled with a short
description of what it means, such as I gave two paragraphs ago.
It's also sometimes helpful to
describe this as "America's original foreign policy" or
"the Founder's foreign policy," and to quote the classic
Jefferson line: "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all
nations; entangling alliances with none."
Some wit once said that the
difference between "isolationists" and
"non-interventionists" is that the former are hermits, while
the latter are gentlemen.
Ron
Paul has put it very well: "Non-interventionism is not
isolationism. Non-intervention simply means America does not interfere
militarily, financially, or covertly in the internal affairs of other
nations. It does not mean that we isolate ourselves; on the contrary,
our founders advocated open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy
with other nations."
Finally, it is sometimes useful to
point out that the current U.S. foreign policy of endless intervention
in the affairs of other nations, U.S. troops and military bases in
almost every nation, sanctions, trade barriers, travel restrictions, and
aid to tyrants and dictators is increasingly isolating America from the
rest of the world. In this sense, the true "isolationists"
actually are the interventionists.
When someone labels libertarians as
isolationists, they are knowingly or unknowingly smearing us and
misrepresenting our views. This should be corrected, in a friendly and
persuasive way, so our true ideas can be understood and embraced.
To call Jefferson, Washington, or Ron Paul an
"isolationist" is uninformed or deliberately misleading. And
there is great irony here. If a candidate believes it's good policy to
overthrow foreign governments by bombing thousands of innocent
non-combatant civilians and replacing the secular regime with an Islamic
theocracy, and then imposing tariffs and protectionist sanctions
on nations that oppose U.S. nation-building,
cutting off trade, cutting off travel, and in numerous other ways
isolating Americans from these nations and their people, their commerce,
and their culture, he is not called an "isolationist."
more on "isolationism"
- American
Foreign Policy Hasn't Changed in 25 Years, Harry Browne, October
20, 1976
- Beware
of these Fallacies in Bush-Gore Debates, Harry Browne, October
11, 2000
Brute
Force Doesn't Solve Conflicts, Harry Browne, December 6, 2001
- Foreign
Policy for America, a (from The Great Libertarian Offer)
Ignorance
Is Dangerous, Harry Browne, January 17, 2002
- Is It
Loony to Want You to be Free?, Harry Browne, May 18, 2000
- Isn't
It Time for the Truth?, Harry Browne, November 13, 2001
- Making the World
Safe for Politicians, Harry Browne, February 22, 1998
- Murdering
for Morality, Harry Browne, June 3, 1999
- Myths of
World War II, the, Harry Browne, March 25, 2002
- Peace
Amendment, the (a proposed foreign policy Constitutional
amendment)
- The Perpetual
War for Perpetual Peace Continues
- President's
First Day in Office, the, Harry Browne, December 1, 2000
- This Just
In: Bin Laden Wins the War in Afghanistan, Harry Browne,
March 14, 2002
- Top
10 Reasons to Get the U.S. out of Yugoslavia,Harry Browne,
May 3, 1999
- Truth
about the Republican & Democratic Parties, the, Harry Browne,
March 23, 1999
- Was the Gulf War a Just War?
, Harry Browne, February 20,
1991
- What
Can We Do About Terrorism? — Part I, Harry Browne, October 4,
2001
- What
Can We Do About Terrorism? — Part II, Harry Browne, October 15,
2001
- What
Can We Do About Terrorism? — Part III, Harry Browne, October 31,
2001
- What Has
'Victory' Achieved?, Harry Browne, January 10, 2002
- What Is
War? (from Why Government Doesn't Work)
What
Kind of Century Will This Be?, Harry Browne, January 3, 2002
- When
Will We Learn? — Part I, Harry Browne, September 12, 2001
- When
Will We Learn? — Part II, Harry Browne, September 14, 2001
- When
Will We Learn? — Part III, Harry Browne, September 17, 2001
- When
Will We Learn? — Part IV, Harry Browne, September 19, 2001
- Who
Gave the OK on Kosovo?, Harry Browne, July 6, 1999
News and Views
Next:
Reading List:
- Core:
- The
Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul, ch. 2 (audiobook)
- A
Foreign Policy of Freedom: 'Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship'
by Ron Paul
- Blowback:
The Costs and Consequences of American Empire by
Chalmers Johnson
- Imperial
Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror by
Michael Scheuer
- The
New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War
by Andrew J. Bacevich
- The Old Right and War:
- Ain't
My America: The Long, Noble History of Antiwar Conservatism and
Middle American Anti-Imperialism by Bill Kauffman
- Reclaiming
the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement
by Justin Raimondo
- The
Betrayal of the American Right by Murray N. Rothbard;
online here
- Prophets
on the Right: Profiles of Conservative Critics of American Globalism
by Ronald Radosh
- Other Important Books:
- Nemesis:
The Last Days of the American Republic by Chalmers
Johnson
- Overthrow:
America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
by Stephen Kinzer
- The
Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic
by Chalmers Johnson
- Dying
to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by
Robert A. Pape
- American
Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy
by Andrew J. Bacevich
- The
Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism by
Andrew J. Bacevich
- War
Is a Racket by Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler; online here
- The
War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the Great War and
the Rise of the Messianic Nation by Richard Gamble
- The
Costs of War: America's Pyrrhic Victories, ed. John V.
Denson
- We
Who Dared to Say No to War: American Antiwar Writing From 1812 to
Now by Murray Polner and Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
- Wall
Street, Banks, and American Foreign Policy by Murray N.
Rothbard; online here
- Articles:
- "Our
Own Strength Against Us: The War on Terror as a Self-Inflicted
Disaster" (.pdf) by Ian S. Lustick
- "What
Do the Terrorists Want?" (.pdf) by James L. Payne
- Audio:
- Scott Horton's Antiwar
Radio has featured some of the most important intellectuals,
journalists, and political figures of our day, and its archive is a
treasure trove of knowledge. Scott suggests the following as some of
his best and most informative interviews. Access his full
archive, subscribe
to his podcast, and listen
live from 12:00pm-2:00pm Eastern.
- Michael
Scheuer, 22-year CIA veteran, former head of the agency's
Osama bin Laden unit,
and author of Imperial
Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror
Robert
Pape, author, Dying
to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism
- Chalmers
Johnson, author and professor emeritus of the University of
California, San Diego
- Philip
Giraldi, former CIA officer and columnist, The American
Conservative
- Ron
Paul on Terrorism and more
- Patrick
Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for the Independent
- John
Cusack, actor, on his film War, Inc.
- Jim
Powell, author, Wilson's
War
- Ron
Paul on Iraq and Afghanistan
- Chris
Hedges, author, War
Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
- Carah
Ong, Iran Policy Analyst, Center for Arms Control and
Non-Proliferation
- Scott
Ritter, former UN weapons inspector
- Larry
Velvel, dean, Massachusetts School of Law
- Gareth
Porter, reporter, IPS News
The Economics of Foreign Policy
- Articles:
- "The
Trillion-Dollar Defense Budget Is Already Here" by
Robert Higgs
- "The
Neglected Costs of the Warfare State" (.pdf) by Thomas
E. Woods, Jr.
- "Military
Spending / Gross Domestic Product = Nonsense for Budget
Policymaking" (.pdf) by Robert Higgs
- "Military-Economic
Fascism: How Business Corrupts Government, and Vice Versa"
by Robert Higgs
- "Do
We Need to go to War for Oil?" (.pdf) by David R.
Henderson
- Audio and Video:
- "The
Myth of War Prosperity" by Robert Higgs
- "Taxation,
Inflation, and War" by Joseph T. Salerno (video
here)
- "War
and Inflation: The Monetary Process and Implications"
by Joseph T. Salerno
- "War
and the Money Machine" by Joseph T. Salerno
- Books:
- Depression,
War, and Cold War by Robert Higgs
- Pentagon
Capitalism by Seymour Melman
next: Foreign Policy
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