H. L. Mencken had his moments:
The old theory of a federation of free and autonomous states has broken down by its own weight, and we are moved toward centralization by forces that have long been powerful and are now quite irresistible. So with the old theory of national isolation: it, too, has fallen to pieces. The United States can no longer hope to lead a separate life in the world, undisturbed by the pressure of foreign aspirations. We came out of the war to find ourselves hemmed in by hostilities that no longer troubled to conceal themselves, and if they are not as close and menacing today as those that have hemmed in Germany for centuries they are none the less plainly there and plainly growing. Roosevelt, by whatever route of reflection or intuition, arrived at a sense of these facts at a time when it was still somewhat scandalous to state them, and it was the capital effort of his life to reconcile them, in some dark way or other, to the prevailing platitudes, and so get them heeded. To-day no one seriously maintains, as all Americans once maintained, that the states can go on existing together as independent commonwealths, each with its own laws, its own legal theory and its own view of the common constitutional bond. And to-day no one seriously maintains, as all Americans once maintained, that the nation may safely potter on without adequate means of defense. However unpleasant it may be to contemplate, the fact is plain that the American people, during the next century, will have to fight to maintain their place in the sun. (“Roosevelt: An Autopsy” 1920)
Sounds about right.
Old Life 
as leonard cohen sings it,
Things are going to slide in all directions
and we don’t have to like it
those who try to change things back to the way they were before
at least like to think they are putting a conservative “restraint” on the change
like my physician says,
things could always be worse
Give me back the Berlin Wall
Give me back Stalin and St. Paul
I’ve seen the future, brother
It is murder
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A nation with nukes can choose to be isolationist, as regards foreign policy, and not engage in wars with countries that aren’t a direct threat, and as a result, shall never be invaded.
Bonus: less likelihood of terrorist attacks.
And: you can trade with whoever, and not anger people on any side of a particular conflict to a great degree if you trade with both sides…
Win-win!
Of course, if your aim is to ‘maintain our place in the sun’, a la having an empire just like France, Germany, Britain, etc. before WWI, then yes, isolation would indeed be an unaffordable luxury.
But is not the cost of maintaining an empire, both in dollars and human lives, even greater?
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When i was last in Alabama, I was told that the united states are no longer united, even though some of the northern tribes carry on with that name.
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In Alabama a lot of folks still collect social security, use medicare, work for the Tennessee Valley Authority, serve in the military, accept federal funding for higher education, and drive on the interstate. Southerners can squawk all they want about exceptionalism–truth be told without federal intervention in the 1930s and WWII many would be digging grub worms out of red clay for breakfast. Even worse southerners listen to the same music, shop at the same chain stores, drink the same coffee, drive the same cars, and surf for the same porn as every other part of the country. Robert E. Lee is no match for Starbucks and Facebook.
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wjw, not to be “that libertarian guy” on this blog again, butttt…federal intervention in the 1930’s is vastly overrated, if not damaging, not to mention was probably the cause of the issues in the first place.
Compare to the depression of 1920…where basically nothing was done and somehow it didnt continue for 15 yrs….
Instead of increasing the money supply they cut the budget. Then in the next decade they increased it by over 60% and boom 1929 depression, boom more spending, boom really really long depression.
But youre other comments are well taken, the south really loves their walmarts.
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Amash, Brat, maybe Sasse… perhaps a sign that the ebb is exhausted.
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WJW – Even worse southerners listen to the same music, shop at the same chain stores, drink the same coffee, drive the same cars, and surf for the same porn as every other part of the country.
Erik – Indeed, can a region clearly be considered independent when they can’t even produce their own porn? And people put California down. Where would our nation’s porn addicts be without the San Fernando Valley?
I feel like singing the National Anthem…
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Hillbilly Porn: Hidden camera footage from the Dollar General restroom/fitting room.
That just ain’t cuttin’ it!
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World War I didn’t do that the U.S. Admiral Mahan did.
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