It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world. The United States, in particular, has faced numerous temptations to form permanent alliances with other countries, especially during times of conflict and upheaval. However, Washington’s counsel reminds us of the dangers inherent in such commitments and the importance of maintaining sovereign indepen

The Argument

It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world. The United States, in particular, has faced numerous temptations to form permanent alliances with other countries, especially during times of conflict and upheaval. However, Washington’s counsel reminds us of the dangers inherent in such commitments and the importance of maintaining sovereign independence. One notable example from history is the United States’ decision to avoid entanglement in the affairs of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. While European powers were embroiled in a struggle for dominance, the United States remained neutral, preserving its autonomy, and avoiding the potentially devastating consequences of alignment with one side or the other. There is a school of thought among some that believes the breaking of this precedent and actively siding with combatants in World War I so upset the traditional balance of powers in Europe that the one-sided outcome of that war led to the inevitability of the reactionary rise of fascism in the defeated nations and an even more devastating conflict.