Letter to the Editor: Nationalism, Isolationism Should Be Rejected

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If American soldiers who died in World War II and indeed, in all other wars, could somehow be asked how they would most like to have their sacrifice remembered it is likely many would say the best way they could be honored would be to learn why it happened and to never let it happen again.

President Harry Truman and a broad consensus of others believed the source of German and Japanese militarism was fanatical nationalism. It is natural to love one’s country, but when that love grows to exclude the interests and well being of all other nations that is called nationalism and it is a prelude to war.

To be sure, when Truman proposed his plans for NATO it was to deter the Soviet Union, but another major motivation for NATO that is little discussed now was to keep a lid on nationalism in Europe. Truman thought by joining together in a military peacekeeping alliance led by the United States there would be much less chance for another outbreak of nationalism and war in Europe that would inevitably involve the U.S. He was right.

Truman, Winston Churchill and many others believed another cause of the war was American isolationism in the 20 years between World War I and World War II. Following the rejection by the Senate of President Wilson’s plan for the League of Nations after World War I, the U.S. entered a period where we paid little attention to world affairs and largely ignored the growing inferno in Germany and Japan’s utterly brutal conquest of most of China and Asia.

After the war, we agreed to guarantee the security of Japan and they agreed to keep their future military ambitions to defensive and disaster relief concerns. It is impossible to overstate how enormously America and the world have benefited from all the post World War II agreements.

Donald Trump seems to believe nationalism and isolationism are ideas whose time has once again come. His cavalier attitude toward the solidarity of NATO and his crackpot claim that  “trade wars are easy to win” belie some bitter facts of history. But then Trump displays zero knowledge of history and what facts can one expect from the star of an oxymoron called a “reality TV show.”

As with the “great” immigration solution and the “great” health care plan and the “great” North Korea nuclear deal, Trump and his people have no plausible endgame strategy for trade tariffs. Prospects loom very large for an isolating, prosperity-destroying trade war.



Richard Grenell, Trump’s new ambassador to Germany, has stated strong support for extreme right-wing nationalist movements throughout Europe. Those movements that would put an end to the European Union and NATO are perfectly in line with Vladimir Putin’s goal to divide and undermine democracies and make the world more agreeable to his strongman, Mafia-style kleptocracy.

Like all cult leaders, Trump commands followers to always believe only him, everything else is false or “fake news.” In a democracy citizens have a duty, even if grudgingly, to use our own brains.

So are we to believe that the self-proclaimed “stable genius” and “brilliant businessman” and “greatest deal maker ever” does Putin’s bidding freely, without having been coerced in any way?

 

Marty Ansley

Cinebar