America First: Isolationism in the Modern Age - Stronger Alone?

[The Sauce Boss]

This is something that's come up a lot in the past four years of Trump presidency. Trump's campaign, from its earliest days, proudly proclaimed 'America First!' and Trump has undisputedly proven that he believes in this message and is doing everything in his power to enforce it. NAFTA restructuring, pulling out of the Middle East, making aggressive noises at NATO and the UN, and rising tension with China are all pointing to the image of America, the world's peacemaker turned janitor, standing alone and away from the rest of the world, 'letting the dead bury their own dead' so to speak.

My question is, what would a truly 'America First' policy look like at its natural conclusion? Is pulling our muscle out from NATO and the UN the right choice? Is burning diplomatic bridges and forcing the people on the other end to rebuild to our standard the right choice? What does the world look like for Americans living in a new age of isolationism, if it would look any different? Would such a stance backfire on us in the long run, or is it better that we simply turtle up and keep our own house in order. Can we even do that, as one of the largest nations on earth?

 

[Krystal]

Might be hard for us now as a superpower, but it has been done before. We were already isolationists up until the Cold War, mainly trying to get away from international affairs/wars until we were provoked into entering/declaring war.

 

[Jimmy Durante's Ballsack]

It would be easier if we simply killed everyone that was not inside America.

It would be fun, too.

 

[School Shooter]

Might be hard for us now as a superpower, but it has been done before. We were already isolationists up until the Cold War, mainly trying to get away from international affairs/wars until we were provoked into entering/declaring war.

I'd argue we haven't been isolationists since the beginning of the first world war. The League of Nations brought us to the world stage, and the embargo on the Japanese led to Pearl Harbor. Not to mention the Lend Lease Act.

I worked at the UN as an intern in college. It's the most pointless, self congratulating organisation in the world. The diplomats are drunk half the time and don't accomplish anything. I'd support an exit.

 

[The Sauce Boss]

I'd argue we haven't been isolationists since the beginning of the first world war. The League of Nations brought us to the world stage, and the embargo on the Japanese led to Pearl Harbor. Not to mention the Lend Lease Act.

I worked at the UN as an intern in college. It's the most pointless, self congratulating organisation in the world. The diplomats are drunk half the time and don't accomplish anything. I'd support an exit.

From what I've seen in my research the UN hasn't done anything useful since Kosovo, and even then, 'useful' was a very long stretch.

 

[Blacklight]

From what I've seen in my research the UN hasn't done anything useful since Kosovo, and even then, 'useful' was a very long stretch.

I love hearing how leftists are begging the UN to interfere in the US elections, and to 'invade' if things don't go the way they want. Please, please try it. I hear those blue helmets make for amazing targets.

 

[Syaoran Li]

From what I've seen in my research the UN hasn't done anything useful since Kosovo, and even then, 'useful' was a very long stretch.

The only reason why I support America being in the UN is because we're a permanent member of the UN Security Council and have veto power. Conversely, China is also part of that same council and we need that veto to counteract Chinese ambitions as best we can. Russia's a wildcard that isn't a fan of China or the United States while Britain and France are neoliberal Eurotrash shitholes who will gladly bend over for Merkel's Germany and the EU (even with Brexit taken into account) and by extension, the People's Republic of China.

 

[Fanatical Pragmatist]

America First is not isolationist; its putting America First.

There is nothing wrong with having allies or having trade partners, the issue is having allies that get more out of our support than we get from supporting them and trade deals where we get fucked over.

Shit, a nation could hypothetically be isolationist while still shipping their jobs overseas and letting bugmen swarm their borders

 

[soft kitty]

Fuck the UN.

 

[Cabelaz]

I love hearing how leftists are begging the UN to interfere in the US elections, and to 'invade' if things don't go the way they want. Please, please try it. I hear those blue helmets make for amazing targets.

Every single blue helmet has a little piece of German engineering that me and every other gun owner in America wants, so I say bring it on

 

[Sneakywombat666]

Problem is, the rest of the world is run by little bitches. NATO only stands because of the US. The EU could be conquered by a Boy Scout Troop with a wet blanket and a can-do-attitude if we didn't protect them. As soon as we back off, China/Russia/Jewville will take over. Like it or not, we have to protect this retarded planet from other countries.

 

[Pampered Degenerate]

Problem is, the rest of the world is run by little bitches. NATO only stands because of the US. The EU could be conquered by a Boy Scout Troop with a wet blanket and a can-do-attitude if we didn't protect them. As soon as we back off, China/Russia/Jewville will take over. Like it or not, we have to protect this retarded planet from other countries.

This is the same backwards logic that underpins the infantilisation of the native populations of most Western nations. People act like children when they are treated as such. Let them fend for themselves, and they'll quickly figure out how to do so or they won't survive.