Political Crossfire Forums

[THEXRATED]

Those of you who do not know. America First was the main group pressuring Americans to stay out from WW2.

Quote: "OUR PRINCIPLES were right. Had they been followed war could have been avoided." So ran the final statement of the America First Committee issued in December, 1941, after the official entry of the United States into World War II.

Organized to keep the United States out of the European war, the America First Committee failed completely to achieve its primary objective. The organization was not even able to defeat any major Administration "short-ofwar" proposal actually put to the test in Congress.

Nevertheless, the America First Committee was the most powerful mass pressure group engaged in the struggle against the foreign policy of the Roosevelt administration in the crucial years of 1940-1941. Under its banner numerous prominent American personalities battled against a foreign policy which they believed to be contrary to the best interests of the United States. General Robert E. Wood, Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh, Senator Burton K. Wheeler, Senator Gerald P. Nye, Philip La Follette, John T. Flynn, Kathleen Norris, Lillian Gish, Chester

Source: America First: The Battle Against Intervention 1940-1941 by Wayne S. Cole

Quote: FOR MANY the America First Committee was identified with opposition to president Roosevelt and the Democratic Party. A writer in the New Republic gave vent to a widely held view when he asserted: "The America First Committee was established at such a strategic preelection moment and backed by such an impressive list of anti-New Dealers that it gave the impression of having been organized not so much to oppose Roosevelt's foreign policy as to oppose Roosevelt on the basis of his foreign policy." There is ample evidence to indicate that political motives were important in the strength of the Committee. It is significant that R. Douglas Stuart, Jr., visited the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in June, 1940, in his early efforts to expand his college group into a national noninterventionist organization. While at Philadelphia he consulted with Senator Robert A. Taft and others and found them sympathetic with his plans.

A majority of those with political affiliations on the executive committee of America First were Republicans. Hanford MacNider, vice-chairman of America First and a member of the executive committee, had long been active in the Republican Party. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1924.

I stumpled while reading something else. Just thought I would share, I found it quite interesting. You have to sign up for the library service to read the full publication. There is also some information at wiki (and further links).

[HalfThere]

I seem to recall a quote:

"An appeaser believes that by throwing steaks to a tiger you will make him turn into a vegetarian."

Isolationism is, on the whole a very bad philosophy. Even if we could have stayed out of World War II, doing so would only have resulted in more of Europe in Fascist and/or Communist hands, along with the continuation of a militaristic Japanese Empire.

While this, of course, is only knowable in hindsight, it should be evidence to the effect that a nation shouldn't be afraid to get its hands dirty once in a while in a manner consistent with national principles.

[Il Principe]

2 problems for these guys

http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/a9a10.htm + Germany's nuclear/biological weapons programs.