Should the United States Become Isolated

Perhaps not total isolation, but maybe withdrawing from the world a bit. Keep up trade and such, but focus more on our border security and technology for defense. That's not to say we shouldn't stay on our toes militarily, though.

I'd like to see all American military return home and all businesses that have been shuttled out of the country to come back. Let the world have the party without us. We could lockdown the borders to illegals, clean up both crime and the criminal justice system, address the homeless problem, get the medical situation under control and there'd be plenty of jobs. All the money we're putting out could be recycled right back through our own country. We could quietly and efficiently build up the military and intelligence sectors and then one day in the future when someone decides to take a poke at us, we crush them decisively and quickly, then close the door again.

It will never happen, but I'd love to see it.

HAs anyone read the book Smoke Screen, By Kyle Mills???
It is a story of the tobacco industry being sued so badly by the Govt, that they decide to shut down. In shutting down they cause rippling effects across the nation both pokitically and economically. Yes I know this is a work of fiction, BUT...............
As the US is the greatest giver of foriegn aid and humaniterian aid....I can't help think...WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE CUT EVERYTHING OFF!!!! Europe doesn't want our bases there, but when we say we will leave they cry about their economy. Maybe it's time we pull out and let them defend their own asses. They want to be a world player, well provide your own defense. The same goes for South korea and japan. We either saved your asses or blew them to HELL and rebuilt you. Try survivng on your OWN. In no time at all I'll bet the rest of the world comes crawling back to us. You can only have so much sand kicked in your face, before you say F.O. Maybe its time we do that. Let me know what y'all think?? (And YES Y'all was intentional)

I've heard many people say that we should "lock down our borders." Does anyone want to expand on how they think we'll shut down our borders by withdrawing military forces back home?

I also know firsthand what it is to be stationed abroad as a member of the Army. I was stationed in Germany for two years a few years back. One person stated that these countries would be happy to see us go. American forces in Europe actually send billions of dollars a year into these countries' economies. Why do you think Germany changed her tune when we threatened to pull our forces based in germany out and place them into Poland?

And finally, Geopolotics is much more tricky than what I think the limited statements made on here give it credit for. IF we were to withdraw all Foreign aid packages, those countries that are kept afloat by them would further deteriorate. America would lose her influence over the World's political picture and I know many Liberals think we are currently all about pre-emptive strikes and such, however, many many MANY GWOT issues are concluded by these other countries' forces (I'd love to send you all evidence, but that isn't possible.)

America has had her period of isolationism and the world showed us that that wasn't possible anymore. I don't like deploying and putting my arse and the arses of my comrades on the line anymore than most of you, I assume, like hearing of military casualties. I don't like when some different-minded individual decides that he must hide amongst civilians leaving me little choice when I must decide to engage him to save my life or the lives of my comrades or to take the incoming rounds and lay down my life so that some Liberal here at home doesn't only cite "civilian casualties." Isolationism is not the answer to America's problems, I can't say for sure what is the answer, but we must not fall back and claim a wait and see attitude.

By isolated you mean what, exactly?

Do you mean militarily? That is pretty much the only POSSIBLE mannner of isolation.

Economically, it is impossible. Culturally, it is impossible. You would have to define it first, before you could isolate it.

Immigration? Close the borders? How?

The thousands of miles of the Atlantic?
The Pacific Coast line?
The thousands upon thousands of miles of the Canadian border?
Mexican border? That hasnt been real successful so far, has it?

The US cannot isolate itself anymore than it could pick itself up and move to another hemisphere.

It wasnt possible in the 40's, it sure isnt now.

Officially announcing our isolationism from the rest of the planet
might just be a grand idea.
We could still trade with other countries, but let's make sure this
time it is done on a dollar for dollar trade.
Let's stop sending one dime to other countries that have isolated
us anyway. Why worry about being isolated from the rest of the
world? We already are. Nobody gives a hoot for us except for the
almighty buck.
Screw the Iranians. They don't need a couple hundred billion more
in the way of aid. They will, and are, making nukies to toast our
hot dogs.
To heck with the Swiss. We don't need their cheese. We can make
cheese just as good up in Wisconsin.
I darn sure don't need a high priced Mercedes Benz. The Cadillac
or Corvette or Ford GT is just as good.
I don't even need a good bottle of French Champagne, a bottle of
Ernest & Julio will do me fine.
Let the rest of the world fare for themselves for a change, and then
when they CAN'T, listen to them squeal to us for help.
Don't give ANY of these foreign countries any more money until they
realize that the American tax-payers are paying for their next meal,
and that this money doesn't come gurgling up out of the toilet.
We can then take the money we give to all of these ungrateful baboons
and give it to people in the world that really need it. Like for instance, let's
give some money to real starving children on this planet. Let's find a
freaking cure for cancer and AIDS. Hey, let's put some food on the table
of children right here in the US that go to bed hungry every night. We don't
need to give gazillions of piles of money away to anyone anymore just
because we are the nice guys with a little change in our pockets.
Let's take this money and provide adequate health care and cheap
prescriptions to the elderly. Let's take this money and put it to good use
right here in the US.
Sure, let's isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Then we could
patrol our borders with our military, and bring our troops home from a
place that doesn't give a crap about us. Close down all of our military
bases around the world and save a few hundred billion more. They only
care about the Sailors and Marines money on shore leave anyway.

ZOOMER:

By isolated you mean what, exactly?

Do you mean militarily? That is pretty much the only POSSIBLE mannner of isolation.

Economically, it is impossible. Culturally, it is impossible. You would have to define it first, before you could isolate it.

Immigration? Close the borders? How?

The thousands of miles of the Atlantic?
The Pacific Coast line?
The thousands upon thousands of miles of the Canadian border?
Mexican border? That hasnt been real successful so far, has it?

The US cannot isolate itself anymore than it could pick itself up and move to another hemisphere.

It wasnt possible in the 40's, it sure isnt now.

Perhaps this thread should have dealt with the US support of Israel. Would a reduction in the support of Israel result in a more favorable view of the US?

It is, however, interesting to think what the world would be like without US support. Would other countries be as advanced? Would the US be as advanced? It's almost like an episode of Sliders!

Originally posted by dcgolf
Perhaps this thread should have dealt with the US support of Israel. Would a reduction in the support of Israel result in a more favorable view of the US?

Isnt that the same as giving in to terrorism?

Remember this: NONE of the Arab states in the region have offered to create a home for the Palistinians.

The Arab world wants the Jews to disappear.

Isreal deserves all the support the US gives it. The problem is not US support for Isreal, it is that not enough of the world is willing to stand up against the Arab world and ensure the safety of all Isreal.

When I say to lock down the borders, I'm thinking in terms of manpower. If we brought all the American military back here from around the world, we'd have enough manpower to properly secure the borders and change the way our country is entered. I'm looking at it from a manpower perspective. Priority #1: Secure and protect our own country. I'd even clamp down on legal immigration. Time to close our doors to the global public.