How Isolationism Costs More Than War

George Washington warned against permanent alliances and for 150 years, America listened. It worked. So why doesn't it work now? In this episode, Bruce Rutherford traces the origin of America's isolationist instinct from Washington's 1796 Farewell Address to today's America First movement and makes the case that the oceans protecting Washington's America no longer protect ours. What Bruce covers: Why the isolationist argument deserves to be taken seriously and where it breaks down The $4 trillion foreign policy track record (Afghanistan + Iraq) that fuels the pull-back sentiment What Washington actually said vs. how isolationists have misquoted him for 200 years How Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and Chinese cyber attacks killed the ocean-as-moat strategy Why 40% of U.S. GDP and $5 trillion in annual South China Sea trade depend on global engagement Madison, Kissinger, Burke, and Reagan what the architects of American power actually believed The difference between reckless engagement and smart, principled strategy Common Sense for America follows the money, not the narrative. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly foreign policy and budget analysis that cuts through the partisan noise. Part 1 of 4  Next episode: The full global board, all four players, and the strategy that can win it. Sources & References: Washington's Farewell Address (1796) James Madison, Constitutional Convention records Henry Kissinger, A World Restored / diplomatic writings Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France U.S. Congressional Budget Office Afghanistan/Iraq expenditure data South China Sea trade volume: UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) #AmericaFirst #ForeignPolicy #Isolationism #GeorgeWashington #CommonSenseForAmerica #BruceRutherford #PoliticalAnalysis #NationalSecurity #AmericaFirst #IndependentVoters