“Observe good
faith and justice
toward all nations”
– – George Washington
4-cent US postage stamp, one of the “American Credo (from the Latin for 'I believe. . .') Series of 1960-1961, issued to underscore the ideals upon which the nation stands”—Smithsonian Postal Museum
It was an idea.
ReplyDeleteA four cent idea.
DeleteHa, ha, good point. The ideal is priceless but its execution is bankrupt 🙄
DeleteAn idea that didn't last long
ReplyDeleteFrom his Farewell Address, 1796.
Delete“At home, Washington feared the rise of political factions.
Abroad, he warned of the dangers of foreign entanglements.”
I think the ideal did hold, but was only spottily observed.
DeleteOften the case with ideals, eh?
He sounded isolationist then...
DeleteOh, dear, I don't know enough about George Washington to expand--
Deletebut I'm sure he would not have invaded Venezuela--
that's what I was thinking about (but didn't say!) when I posted this.
More from Washington's Farewell Address (written by Alexander Hamilton):
"Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations.
Cultivate peace and harmony with all.
"The Great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign Nations
is in extending our *commercial* relations
to have with them as little *political* connections as possible. . . .
"We may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies."
________
Summing up:
"Were the Founders Isolationists?"
https://onlinecoursesblog.hillsdale.edu/were-the-founders-isolationists
"The Founders were not “isolationists,” but wanted peaceful, harmonious, and commercial relations with all nations.
"They advised that we treat all nations equally, eschewing both “habitual hatred” and “habitual fondness” for any nation...."
The US has been spottily isolationist—I wish we’d joined WWII sooner and stayed out of Vietnam (et Al.)
Delete