In today’s dangerous world scene, many populist and nationalist sectors call for walking away from world commitments and focusing on national problems. They see this isolationism as a Benedict option writ large.
There are certainly enough national problems and expenses to occupy America and the nations of the world. Minding one’s own business has the added benefit of avoiding the woke globalized international world order that seems intent upon ruling the earth.
Why America Must Reject Isolationism and Its Dangers
However, while such considerations can represent legitimate concerns, isolationist advocates fail to understand the nature of international relationships and commitments. They involve much more than just the superficial links between nations. They do not see the fatal consequences of such policies for what remains of the world order.
Isolationism Is Like Individualism
One way to understand the problem is to make an analogy between the nation and the individual. For the nation, the isolationist perspective is like the individualistic mindset of the individual.
Both outlooks negatively impact the natural and full development of the individual and the nation. Both outlooks suffer from the distortion of liberal ideas that prevent the individual and the nation from reaching their full potential and end.
Individuals Are Contingent Beings
Individualists, for example, limit their dependency on others. However, humans are naturally social and contingent beings. They need others to make up for their shortcomings, and others need them so that all might reach perfection and completion.
Thus, individuals need society. Huge social and cultural frameworks developed over generations have always served to help cultivate the values, principles and convictions that shape individuals into valued members of society. From these commitments, people also understand the need to sacrifice for the common good.
The Destructive Effects of Liberalism
Modern liberal society has done much to break down these social bonds by teaching radical individualism. This philosophy creates an atomized society where people only seek self-gratification and personal interests to the detriment of society as a whole.
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Individuals thus become individualists by desiring to rid themselves of the social and cultural frameworks that keep order in society, which they see as cumbersome and restrictive. As a result, liberal society tends to crumble and shatter as all seek their own interests.
Frustrated by this atomization, many people make matters worse by further isolating themselves. They react against the liberal order and convince themselves that they must take care of everything on their own. Thus, all society suffers and stagnates.
Nations Need a Community of Nations
Similarly, nations need a community of other nations to develop themselves fully. No nation has all the resources it needs to flourish. When goods and services are lacking, nations must seek them from those that have them.
This necessary relationship between nations is reflected by a foreign policy outlook that seeks to deliver mutual benefits and peace. Over the centuries, nations have built up a vast international infrastructure of trade agreements, postal protocols, military alliances and diplomatic agreements. These mechanisms link them together in solidarity and purpose. They provide essential services, mutual esteem and easier trade. They also require duties, obligations and interventions that can be cumbersome. However, this infrastructure provides immense benefits.
However, the liberal order can also distort foreign policy by favoring measures that work against the national interest. It can facilitate globalist abuses and unfair trade practices. It can also serve to spread woke and liberal errors worldwide.
Thus, many individuals react against these liberal distortions (just as they react against individualist self-gratification) by ridding the nation of international infrastructure and foreign policy. Let each nation determine its destiny outside this framework.
In so doing, they destroy the international infrastructure of links, rules and protocols developed over the centuries. This walk-away program invites powerful nations to adopt a might-makes-right policy of aggression toward other nations. A rigid isolationism jeopardizes the normal development of individual countries and harms the common good of the community of nations.
The Destruction of the West
Now more than ever, this isolationism threatens America and the West. The world is decaying into a post-liberal, postmodern state of things. (The word “order” is deliberately not used.)
In its place is a new arrangement that clashes with the vast traditional infrastructure. Anti-Western powers like China, Russia and Iran are proposing new structures outside of the traditional notions of the rule of law and the Christian norms that inform it.
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These nations foresee the shattering of the present political system into a mysterious “multi-polar world.” For this to happen, however, what is left of Western civilization (and especially its lingering Christian ideals) must be destroyed.
Even in their decayed state, the present political structures are formidable obstacles to this plan. Thus, the best way to accomplish this goal is to encourage processes of self-destruction and postmodern deconstruction inside the West. Let the decadent and woke West destroy itself by forsaking its unity and past.
Isolationism is one way to advance these processes of destruction. That is why it must be opposed.
Read the American TFP’s Statement: Why America Must Reject Isolationism and Its Dangers
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