American Isolationism Will Save the Republic

By Todd Davis

America after its founding established a geopolitical position that its citizens did not want to become involved in European wars. Although not completely successful, the country was drawn into the War of 1812 which was a direct offshoot of the Napoleonic Wars, the United States managed to remain detached from European conflicts for a hundred years until World War One. During this era of splendid isolation, America established the cultural and economic foundations that would propel it toward global superpower status in the 20th century. A return to isolationist foreign policy will solve many problems currently plaguing the United States today. 

Populism over Globalization

America First is the largest political movement within the United States. President Joe Biden has labeled it as extreme MAGA. Others have called it Trumpism. Whatever label is attached to America First, it is a movement that will last after former President Trump is gone. America First has taken over the Republican Party rejecting the former cornerstone Neocon geopolitical view of the world that defined the GOP. America First places the interest of all Americans over the political and economic alliances the country has throughout the world that seemingly only benefit the top tier of Americans. 

Diversity and globalization were sold to Americans for generations as strengths. These ideas began to ring hollow after citizens looked around and saw the result of decades of living under policies that seemingly never benefit the country. Made in America can no longer even be a slogan since the industrial base has been so decimated nearly every non-edible consumer product is made overseas. Globalization has brought billions into the country but the lion’s share of those profits were consolidated and hoarded by the elites.  

Southern Border Collapse

The partisan divide over establishing an effective immigration policy has come to a boiling point at the southern border of the United States. In no uncertain terms, America is being invaded. Millions of illegals are swarming into the country using a loophole in the Asylum law to stay in America indefinitely while their status is sorted out, a process that will take years under the current strain that has overwhelmed the Biden administration.

Unlike existential threats that may or may not exist thousands of miles away, the border invasion is felt every day by Americans. Cities and small towns alike are flooded by foreigners. There appears no end in sight. Americans are confronted every day with the rapid change of their country. And while the United States has a long history of immigration, this current wave of immigrants represents an exodus from the poorest, most destitute nations in the world bringing few skills and introducing contagions like leprosy and polio, previously diseases never encountered in the United States for generations. 

Alliances without Benefit

Exasperating the situation facing Americans is that the United States is stuck in one-way alliances where the country puts in large resources and gets little in return. NATO is an outdated political alliance that has gone from a defensive pact to an aggressive expansionist force that creates instability throughout Europe. NATO is directly responsible for the conflict in Ukraine, a disaster of epic proportions that has gotten 600,000 Ukrainians killed. 

Populism has rebelled against United States involvement in Ukraine to such a degree that the Republican Party has dug in and blocked further transfers of money to Ukraine at the behest of its voters. Virtually no one in the country wants a war with Russia and yet it is only America First Republicans that have formed a rudimentary anti-war party. The political left, long a bastion of anti-war sentiment in America, has been devoured by corporate Democrats whose pro-war agenda mirrors Dick Cheney, not JFK.  

Israel is another pseudo-ally who never supports the United States in any tangible way. All aid to Israel is a one-way street. Israel is engaged in a campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Almost the entire world is now against this continuing war Israel is waging. The war is extremely unpopular with many Democratic voters on the homefront in America. Even so, the Biden Administration continues to support Israel and it is becoming increasingly likely that America will be dragged into a war with Yemen as a result. 

Why would Americans wage war on Yemen? What are the demands the Houthis are making that are so unreasonable? The Houthis want the genocide in Gaza to end. That’s it. Are we going to fight another war in the Middle East whose only purpose is to enable Israeli genocide?

Splendid Isolation

America’s decline will continue if we proceed with the same policies that our leaders have followed for the last thirty years. There is another path forward though, one where the interests of the American people are put first. Taking these steps and embracing isolationism will allow America time to mend its fractured national unity, rebuild the social fabric of the country, and avoid international conflicts that only destabilize the homeland and the global community. Key steps for President Trump to take in an America First agenda are:

• Secure the Southern Border
• Mass deportation of illegals within the country
• Cease all aid to Ukraine
• Force Israel to accept a UN ceasefire
• Withdraw from NATO
• Make a deal with China over Taiwan

Southern Border

A nation cannot exist without borders. America cannot accommodate the millions of people invading the country who have no desire to assimilate and become American. President Trump’s wall should be built immediately. Walls work. Even if a wall will not stop all traffic across the border it will stop a large portion of it and, perhaps even more importantly, it will stand as a symbol that America no longer provides an unguarded superhighway into the heartland. A majority of Americans support building a wall along the Mexican border including a staggering 91% of Republicans. Building this wall should be the number one priority for the America First agenda. 

Mass Deportation

While a wall will dramatically decrease the traffic across the border, it will not deal with the millions and millions of illegals who have crossed the border during the Biden Administration under the guise of asylum. American politicians concerned about the integrity and well-being of the country should begin the process of deporting these individuals. A deal should be struck with Mexico to build camps that provide food and shelter where they can be housed until their asylum hearings. Appoint new judges to deal specifically with these cases. After the hearing, if denied entry into the United States, mass transportation should be organized to take the immigrants back to their country of origin. Since America will no longer be involved in foreign adventurism, military assets can be used for this purpose, both the US Navy and military transport planes. A humane, efficient system like this would help alleviate any partisan divide over the issue. 

Out of Ukraine

Ukraine is not going to win the war with Russia. Ukraine has, in fact, already lost the war. Continuing to support Ukraine is a waste of money and further destabilizes the world. Speaker Mike Johnson has been reluctant to pass any further aid for Ukraine. He has said,

We need to know that Ukraine will not be another Afghanistan.

No one in the Biden administration has had a goal or plan on how Ukraine was ever going to win the war. We cannot spend a decade funding defeat in Ukraine. Phrases like support Ukraine however long it takes have changed to support Ukraine for however long we can. The time for support is over. America First politicians should offer to help Ukraine receive the best deal it can get from the Russian Federation. If Ukraine isn’t interested in doing that, remains unrealistic about peace negotiations, and wishes to pursue war with Russia, then all ties should be cut with the country. Americans have no interest or benefit in who runs Kiev. 

UN Ceasefire in Gaza

The Biden Administration has repeatedly blocked UN resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Virtually the entire world is demanding a ceasefire as Israel has gone from waging a war on Hamas to engaging in collective punishment and genocide against the Palestinian people. South Africa has brought an international case of genocide against Israel to the United Nations. By continuing to back Israel without qualification or restraint the United States is becoming a willing accomplice in Israel’s crimes. Why does this continue? Millions of Americans have protested over the plight of the Palestinians. Support for Joe Biden has dropped by 40 points in key swing states within the Arab American community. Politics aside, it is immoral to support what Israel is doing. Americans are tired of being on the wrong side of history. Continuing to support Israel will inevitably draw America into another endless Middle East war. 

Withdraw from NATO

NATO had its uses as a defensive alliance during the Cold War. That era is long gone and now NATO is used as the military arm of the EU to enforce economic policy, a side of air strikes to go with sanctions. NATO has been exposed during the war in Ukraine as a bully, adept at punitive punishment against inferior, isolated nations such as Libya and Serbia but completely incapable of dealing with a peer adversary such as Russia. NATO arms and equipment have been exposed as being too expensive to use or too ineffective in combat conditions. Even more alarming is the near complete lack of soldiers that the alliance can provide. NATO is holding a drill over the next few months where 90,000 soldiers and 133 tanks are conducting exercises. This paltry amount drawn from 31 countries would be ground to dust within three months of fighting in Russia. Americans no longer benefit from the NATO alliance. Instead of keeping America safe, NATO now draws America into European wars. The exact type of European wars that the founding fathers of America wanted to avoid. The era of NATO is over and America should withdraw from the alliance.

Taiwan

China is going to take Taiwan as part of the One China policy. American politicians can either accept that, or they can fight China over it and get hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese killed in the process. An America First isolationist country has a tremendous opportunity here. A deal can be struck with China over Taiwan. America will allow Taiwan to be incorporated within China without interference from Washington and in exchange China will agree to favorable trade deals with the United States. This would have a major two-pronged benefit for Americans. First, it would mend and improve the relationship between China and America, an essential element in world harmony going forward. Second, it would provide a tangible benefit to every American who would prosper from these new trade deals. Making this deal is a no-brainer for any politician who is concerned about Americans and not posturing on the world stage while advancing utterly unrealistic geopolitical policy. Traditional Neocon and Neoliberal politicians would never make this deal choosing instead to turn China into an adversary. America First politicians will make a deal where the country prospers. Spending trillions on war or making trillions in peace. Is it even a choice?

America First

Isolationism does not mean America is alone. Isolationism is the political policy that puts America and Americans first. Isolationism severs the strings from puppeteers that have constantly pushed America into war. Isolationism allows America to rebuild the country without worrying about what is going on in a foreign capital 8,000 miles away. Isolationism clarifies, cuts through, and captures the revolutionary spirit that built this country. Isolationism is good, it is right, it will redefine the American experience and Isolationism will save the malfunctioning Republic called the USA.