User:Chadlupkes/Isolationism vs Protectionism

From Left Space

I noticed a word in a blog entry I did in September.

instead of being allowed to do anything meaningful, the conservatives and isolationists pushed a neutrality bill through Congress...

Reading it again made me consider the differences between the concept of isolationism and the concept of protectionism. They are not the same.

Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military policy and a political policy
of economic nationalism (protectionism). In other words, it asserts both of the following:

1. Non-interventionism - Political rulers should avoid entangling alliances with other nations and avoid all
wars not related to direct territorial self-defense.
2. Protectionism - There should be legal barriers to control trade and cultural exchange with people in other
states.

Not to be confused with the non-interventionist philosophy and foreign policy of the libertarian world view,
which espouses unrestricted free trade and freedom of travel for individuals to all countries. This
"libertarian isolationist" view is best defined as a policy of nonparticipation in foreign political
relations, but free trade and affability to all.

Source: Wikipedia

Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between nations, through methods such as tariffs on
imported goods, restrictive quotas, a variety of restrictive government regulations designed to discourage
imports, and anti-dumping laws in an attempt to protect domestic industries in a particular nation from
foreign take-over or competition. This is closely aligned with anti-globalization, and contrasts with free
trade, where no artificial barriers to entry are instituted.

Source: Wikipedia

I don't agree with isolationism. I don't think we can consider ourselves to be separate from other nations around the world. What we do to the air, they breathe. What we do to the oceans, they have to deal with. Our communication broadcasts and the Internet know no boundaries. There are only artificial barriers between countries, and we should be mindful of that. We have the obligation to help people around the world, not by weakening ourselves but by actually helping them build their foundations so they can reach their own potential. Human rights abuses around the world need to be dealt with by the world community. This doesn't mean war, but it does mean that we don't stand by idle while people are the victims of genocide and civil strife over poor resource management. We can teach people how to share, just as we teach our children how to share. And we start by being willing and able to share ourselves.

I do agree with protectionism. I think protecting domestic industries is the best way to provide jobs and opportunity to our own people. I believe that we have to secure our own foundation before we can be ready to help other nations, and I think free trade policies that undermine our own economic security should be attacked aggressively. We have learned after the cycles of the last hundred years that we can return to solid ground by focusing our internal investments on our physical, economic and social infrastructure.

There is a difference between isolation and protection. It's the difference between those who wish to close the door on the world and those who wish to open that door. I want to see the door open, and I want the United States to be a source of light and hope again.