Many patriotic Americans agree with the idea that we should put America First in our policies, both domestic and foreign. This concept does have much appeal, as we realize that the United States has been and is a unique nation in the globe’s history.
Yet there has never been a time when we can claim to ‘roll up the oceans’ and be apart and protected from the outside world. Since the beginning of our republic, we have been intimately involved with countries around the world, and how we have responded to the challenges of such involvement has shaped our destiny.
The United States was born in conflict with a nation far from our shores. Feeling the weight of imperial Britain, we fought a war to liberate those who resided in what was called America. This struggle could not have succeeded without the help of two other nations separated from us by the Atlantic Ocean; France, with whom we had a treaty with supplied the rebels in America with money, arms, armies and a navy. Spain also helped the fledgling nation; both of these countries had an ulterior motive, to weaken Britain’s empire in Europe and abroad, but we needed that help.
After the establishment of the country as the United States, our involvement with foreign entities did not abate. Ratification of the Constitution took place, finally, in 1789. By the 1790s, we were at loggerheads with France, fighting an ‘undeclared’ naval war with them. The beginning of the 19th century saw America in conflict with the Barbary Coast pirates along the northern shore of the Mediterranean, and continued problems with Great Britain over their continued violation of our treaty of independence, morphed into another war with the British, the War of 1812.
That decade was not over until Spain and the United States were in a controversy over our border with Spanish Florida. One result was the acquisition of that Spanish colony in 1819.
Internally, an Era of Good Feelings ensued domestically, but again problems with European nations caused then President James Monroe to issue the infamous Monroe Doctrine in 1823. Fighting with the native Americans seemed to dominate our ‘foreign’ affairs, culminating with the Trail of Tears n the 1830s. But the next decade saw problems emerge with Mexico with the creation of Texas after they won their independence from Mexico City. That led to the Mexican War which saw the United States become masters from ‘sea to shining sea’ with the acquisition of the Mexican Cession, including California.
The next two decades were consumed with the problems of Civil War, and after that the Indian Wars took precedence in our public debates. During the time, we established relations with the Japanese, at the point of the gun, we bought Alaska and Wake Island, and helped settle European claims in South America. In 1898, with Cubans rebelling against their Spanish masters, America went to war in what is known as the Spanish-American War, gaining for us Guam and Puerto Rico.
Our foreign involvement continued in the 20th century, with such instances so numerous as to defy quantification in a short essay. World Wars 1 and 2 were fought, as was the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. Along the way we became part of the United Nations, dealt with threats to world peace from many places and generally had a robust engagement with the world. A Cold War with the USSR ensued for over 40 years, which ended with the end of that Communist nation in 1991.
In our present century, we have fought wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, against the ISIS extremists, and have confronted North Korea’s belligerence and China’s push to dominate the world. Now we are arming Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Still the argument continues. With our history replete with foreign entanglements, many Americans want to have as little to do with other nations as possible, using the oceans as a deterrent to hostile action. We know that with the kind of armaments that other nations possess that is not possible, but with domestic problems, many citizens want to solve our own problems without trying to be the world’s policeman.
In 2016, Donald Trump ran on a platform of ‘America First’, and followed through on his promise to place our country at the forefront of his agenda. He became the first President since Herbert Hoover to not send forces to fight overseas, nor commence a war with another nation.
It is important to note that we cannot be totally isolated from the wider world. First, we are a nation of traders. Our economy depends on the interdependent swapping of goods, raw materials and technology. Some of the dealings we have with other nations are vital to our own survival; vital minerals must be imported to make our industries grow and thrive. Just a quick look into what we purchase each week will show textiles, technological devices and even food were imported, some from third world countries.
America First does not mean to completely separate from the global community, but it does mean we must balance our interests internationally with those domestically. Questions arise about the present administration and their commitment to America.
About 5.5 million illegal immigrants have flooded our nation since Joe Biden assumed the Presidency. These have brought to our shores those who have committed crimes, brought in drugs such as fentanyl and meth. These have strained the social services and health services in the states on the border with Mexico. This open border is not an America First policy.
In foreign affairs, Biden’s administration seems to have allowed global interests to dominate his policies. We have now plowed billions into Ukraine to protect their borders. We have reentered the Paris Accords on climate change, seemed to want to engage Iran again over their nuclear program, and have not responded to North Korea’s sword rattling in the Far East. China seems to move in their sphere of influence with impunity, even when violating international agreements on use of sea lanes and they threaten Taiwan with forced reunion from time to time. What do we do? Not much, and these policies are not in America’s best interests.
As voters, we need to insist that the needs of the United States come first in the policies and actions of our elected leaders. Sometimes this will take forceful action and tough rhetoric. It seems we do not have either in the halls of power in Washington, D. C.
America cannot serve the interests of the world with weak responses if we are not strong ourselves. Make ‘America First’ more than just a campaign slogan; make it a reality, and the world will sit up and take notice again of the strongest and best nation on the planet.