Isolationism

A topic in the news often these days, Isolationism seems to be a preferred position by many conservative actors around the world. Make my country great again (fill in your favorite far right politician’s country) can sound like logical polltical theory. Okay let’s start with USA. Isolationism sounds like it’s time for us to put our country first, as THE top priority. It seems to suggest that our domestic agenda is miles more important than our international one…and protecting our borders from immigrants is an important issue. Should we really be responsible as the ‘police’ for the rest of the world? Is NATO important? to the USA?

I have views on this of course, and they are colored by our historical position as a leader and safe haven in the world. Wasn’t this what made America great in the first place?

But then I start to think about isolationism in a more expansive way. Isolating our country is up for debate (it seems). But then what….should my state take a similarly isolationist stance? If Connecticut or Maine (i like ’em both) decide that we really need to have an isolationist view about things, does that mean we don’t want those damn southerners moving here and polluting our gene pool? Are our local laws more important than the ones passed by the Federal government?

Should my little town be far more protective about mixing with people from other towns, other states, other countries? We happen to be a predominantly white population in this town – is that important to protect?

Okay then I take this to the next step in my mind, Do I want my family to think in an isolationist manner? Do we need to circle the wagons and be far more careful about who we mix with? My son is getting married this year…do I really know enough about her family’s background? My daughter has a boyfriend who great up in another country!! Yeegads. What if he pollutes our gene pool some day?

So you see, I don’t really like where isolationist thinking takes me….at any level.