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I am sympathetic to the general thrust of this essay. I suppose, that explains why I object to the digest of events offered in "Interbellum Years".

Here we find the author inexplicably relating "isolationist" sentiment, in general, to reluctance, in general, "to intervene militarily or economically" in in formation of the League, but not international settlement of reparations; and the US isolationists' argument that "membership over-committed the U.S. to intervene all over the world in conflicts that didn't really concern Americans" is a plausible explanation for Wilson administration's intermittent intervention by Herb Hoover-proxy in the Conference business, between his visits Jan 2018, Dec 2018, Jan - July 2019.

I smell a rat. I smell the innocence of US military aggression in this high school revival of US 'isolationism'. Consistency in fact is rather trivial detail in presentation of US hegemony as if alone in all things fabulous.

For one, I have posted here before Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1789-2012. The US federal gov has never been averse to intervention "all over the world" before, during, or after WWI.

Second, the author seems careless to conflate domestic agitation for 'reform' (Progressive Party, Roosevelt 'Moose' Party, Socialist and Communist parties, anarchists' demos) with polemic against 'isolationism', proposed by latter day US historians. In the decade after the Spanish-American War, brutal union-busting, Panic of '07, etc insurrection pre-occupied fed gov revival of imperial aspiration. It entered WWI late in part because of regime change to systematically suppress civil rights agitation right up to WWI conscription and secure budget financing. 'Isolationism' is the rug pulled over a period of violent, reactionary fed gov police action to quash US domestic 'reform'.

Third, I've been following this WWI shitshow through NYT --'conscience of a liberal'-- clippings for several years at WIIIAI. These anecdotes nicely complement Zinn's survey ( Ch.13-14), for example. And for the last few weeks -100, I've been reading about Republican Party threats to depose Wilson in the event he took even a Japanese minute to sail to Europe for the Paris Peace Conference.

Fourth, the compact wasn't signed until 1920, wasn't 'wildly popular' nor ratified by the US Senate, and the League wasn't codified until 1930, when Herb Hoover was installed. Not that it mattered. US didn't ratify the United Nations Charter until July 28, 1945. And since then has "cherry picked" which UN conventions fed gov will sign but not enforce. Mr Trump is not in the least an atavistic figure of US 'foreign policy.'

"Over-committed the U.S. to intervene" should be understood instead to express a historical political sentiment that fed gov will refuse to be bound by international treaty prohibiting US aggression.

Happy Black History D355 Y3

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri Dec 21st, 2018 at 06:30:58 PM EST
The choice of the article "Interbellum Years" was done simply due to the listed cartoon I wanted to use. I'm certain for historical use it had little to offer. Thanks for the information in your reply.

World War I and Historical Memory

Related reading ...

America's Greatness Ended With the Statue of Liberty
with link to Early 20th Century Immigration Restrictions  

The mountains of southern West Virginia are riddled with coal--and bullets | Smithsonian Mag |
Yesterday's Bolsheviki and Today's Deplorables
with link to The Lynching of Robert Prager [UMW] and the Problems of Patriotism in 1918 | St. Louis Globe Democrat |  

Uncertainty in International relations with elements of a century ago. From this week's interview with Sergey Lavrov ...

There are comparisons that go farther back into history. Both in this country and elsewhere, there are figures who predict that a situation will arise resembling that on the eve of World War I. They are referring to the pent-up antagonisms existing in Europe, including, by the way, in the Balkans. But it is my strong, firm conviction that the politicians in the key countries cannot allow a big war to happen. The public opinion and the nations themselves will not let them. I hope that the parliaments in each Western country will also display maximal responsibility.

But I absolutely agree that tensions are being fomented in an unprecedented way. We see international agreements collapsing. Not so long ago, the United States unilaterally disrupted the ABM Treaty. We had to adopt measures that would prevent this extremely negative event from undermining strategic stability. Next in line is the INF Treaty, which Washington believes to be outmoded, while accusing us of violating it. In so doing, they are hinting in no uncertain terms that they would like to extend the restriction identical to that assumed by the USSR and the United States to China and a number of other countries, including North Korea and Iran.

[...]
Let me note that this Russophobia, as we are convinced, is to a decisive degree linked to the internal political infighting [in the US]. The United States, no matter who would advocate good relations with Russia, sees us as a rival as it does China. It is not accidental that for the lack of facts proving our "sins" against US democracy, the Russophobic campaign has brought no results whatsoever.

In recent days, the US propagandists have pitched in at China. In their view, China is already the "chief hacker" undermining the mainstay of US society. It is regrettable that the interests of the international community, global strategic stability and international security are being sacrificed for the sake of domestic political squabbles. But we will always be ready for dialogue.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Dec 21st, 2018 at 07:38:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Mental disorder is a communicable disease.
#isolationism
The evidence is all around you.



Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Fri Dec 28th, 2018 at 04:32:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
for posterity, just in case you're still connecting dots to "migrants" (war refugees) into the EU


Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Fri Dec 28th, 2018 at 04:19:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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