Isolationism

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Isolationism, in its most extreme form, is a foreign policy calling for minimal dealings with foreign governments. It usually means avoiding relations with certain disliked countries, and avoiding entanglements that might lead to war.

United States

President George Washington called on Americans in his Farewell Address in 1796:

"Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice? It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.... we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies."

The U.S. had a policy of isolationism toward the Soviet Union (1918-33), and toward Communist China (1949-71).

Starting in 1933 with the World Economic Conference, American public opinion and national policy policy was to minimize the risk of entering another war by isolationist laws, such as the Neutrality Laws. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, started in late 1937 to reverse the isolationist policies. When World War I began in late 1939, the U.S. was officially neutral but gave significant military aid to Britain, France and China. It was only after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 that the United States abandoned its isolationism and entered the war. See America First Committee for the 1940-41 debate on avoiding American entry into World War II in Europe.

The Republican party had an isolationist wing led by Senator Robert A. Taft. During World War II, the internationalist wing of the GOP gained strength, as former isolationist Arthur Vandenberg switched sides. The leaders of the anti-isolationist or "internationalist" wing were Dwight D. Eisenhower (president 1952-60), and Richard Nixon (president 1968-74). Conservative leader Barry Goldwater in 1964 rejected isolationism and called for an aggressive Rollback strategy to defeat Communism, a policy followed by Ronald Reagan (president 1980-88).

Meanwhile isolationist sentiment grew in the Democratic party, largely in reaction to the failure of the Vietnam War. the chief spokesman was Senator George McGovern, whose 1972 presidential campaign had the isolationist slogan, "Come Home America".

Asia

Japan had a rigorously enforced policy that isolated the country from nearly all foreign contacts in the Tokugawa period (1603 – 1867). The goal was to prevent Christianity from entering, as well as other dangerous ideas. The problem is that Japan became militarily so backward it could not defend itself.

During the years 1840-99, Chinese intellectuals' growing awareness of China's precarious status in a world of increasingly powerful competing nation-states led them to question China's traditional isolationism and to advocate the adoption of Western technology and institutions.

Korea was the "Hermit Kingdom" that largely cut itself off from all outside contacts until the 1880s.

Today Burma (or Myanmar) and North Korea strictly limit contacts. North Korea, however, has an aggressive foreign policy that threatens its neighbors South Korea and Japan--and also the U.S.--with missiles and perhaps even nuclear weapons.

Other countries

Morocco

During the reign of Moulay Slimane (1792-1822), the experience of the Napoleonic wars demonstrated the military might of the European powers and the weakness of Morocco. As a result, the sultan began a purely defensive, even isolationist, policy that sought to sever all of the country's ties to Europe and, at the same time, to curtail any possible provocations (for example, he forbade any further activity by Moroccan corsairs). This isolationism was characteristic of Morocco for the rest of the 19th century.

Switzerland

Since 1815 Switzerland has conspicuously distanced itself from the international community. It remained neutral in all wars. It has rejected membership in the UN and participation in the European Economic Area treaty and UN peacekeeping operations; and it remains outside the European Union. It remains one of the world’s major banking centers, and serves as the neutral host of many international agencies and meetings.

This starkly isolationist posture is the product of Swiss direct democracy. Swiss voters have repeatedly voted on issues of international integration. In five of the six cases, they delivered a sharp rebuff to the international community and to their own government. One explanation focuses on the renewed linguistic cleavage between German speakers and French speakers. Also critical has been the desire to preserve a wide scope for Swiss direct democracy by rejecting binding international agreements. Finally, government campaign tactics have exacerbated popular opposition to international integration.[1]

Further reading

references

  1. Kris W. Kobach, "Spurn Thy Neighbour: Direct Democracy and Swiss Isolationism." West European Politics 1997 20(3): 185-211