What's really a shame is that the English and French didn't adopt the 14 points. Had they done so, with or without US ratification, WW2 had a
chance of being avoided.
Again, claiming that the US had some "responsiblity" to police Europe's warlike empires after WW1 is typically what I expect from that side of the pond.
It's a basic difference in philosophy. "Mind your own affairs" vs the "mind everyone
else's affairs" point of view.
The US had had enough of European war; we were isolationist before and were isolationist afterwards.
Like the firemen putting out a conflageration started by a group of bickering pyromaniacs, our only responsiblity was to get back home and hope the pyros learned their lesson. After all, the pyromaniacs had their own fire department; no need to involve ours all the time.
We got dragged into WW2 by the Japanese and were inevitably dragged into Europe's war again by Germany's stupid declaration. Even Harry is probably smart enough to realise that Hitler made a huge mistake in declaring war on the US.
Unfortunately, after WW2 we DID take a role in world affairs. The UN, Wilson's would be League of Nations, became a reality. Judging by its success, it looks like Wilson had that part totally wrong.
Sure, we dealt with the Nazis prior to the war. In
business relationships, just like almost all the European countries did. What of it?
If you'd like to discuss particular incidents in our hemisphere, that's fine. Not everything done between 1776 and 1918 was beyond reproach. OTOH, I'll be waiting for you to show me where the US started a multinational war that killed millions. Twice. Please proceed.
Just a shame that a major lack of judgment and moral fiber prevented Wilson's vision from being realised for another 30 years.
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It wasn't lack of judgement or moral fiber. The American people in the post-WW1 era had more than enough of both. They also had the good sense to extricate themselves from Europe's mess. League or not, WW2 was a certainty because of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Again, note that it was
France and England that discarded Wilson's 14 points, perhaps the only chance of avoiding WW2. You of course realize that the "victorious powers"
could have followed Wilson's 14 point plan
with or without US ratification.Of course, they did not, making WW2 inevitable irregardless of US ratification of the Treaty. Thus your comment
to ensure that the Central Powers abode by the terms of Versailles
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shows a lack of understanding of the cause of WW2. it was the very
terms of Versailles that made WW2 inevitable. Germany
could not abide by them. Any US attempt to make them do so probably would have merely hastened WW2. The entire chance for peace was DOOMED by the "terms of Versailles".
And now we have the UN. Is there peace? No? Is there Euro happiness because the US now DOES take an active role in world affairs. No, I don't think that happened.
Be careful what you ask for, I guess.
I still think isolationism is our best course. I'd love to see every US troop home ASAP. Washington had it right in his Farewell Address:
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 connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith.
Here let us stop.
Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.
Wise man.
