Why The Neutralist? The term Isolationist implies a narrow Fortress America outlook and is used as an epithet. The term Neutralist does not indicate someone hiding out from the world. No one calls the Swiss isolationists. The Wilsonian world view is old, tired and wrong. Our interventions have been less and less successful and now the failure can no longer be covered up.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Darn that Fred Reed

Hey, I'm supposed to be the Neutralist and Fred Reed goes and writes one of the best neutralist articles ever. Heck, I don't even know if he is actually a neutralist.

Anyway, well worth reading.

2 comments:

rho said...

As the days and months and weeks progress, I start wondering if Fred ain't got the right idea living the expat life.

Black Sea said...

Robert raises an interesting question. Americans have long congratulated themselves on the desirability of living in America, and the attraction it presents to people from across the globe. There is still a lot to this. People who distrust or even despise the American government may also see the chance to live or study in the States as a golden opportunity, and they often come away favorably impressed, at least with the general culture of the place.

Still, after having lived outside of the States for four years, I can comfortably say that the rest of the world, even the so-called "Second World," is not some vast wasteland of poverty and despair. I live in Turkey, which certainly has its share of problems, but you know, it's hardly Zimbabwe, and most other countries aren't.

Many Americans who choose to live abroad ultimately find it difficult to return. As Fred Reed points out, just the sort of petty harrasment you encounter in trying to navigate through the various airport checkpoints is enough to make you want to jump back onto a plane.