Neo-isolationism After The Cold War And Its Influence On American Foreign Policy

Isolationism is regarded as one of the most important traditional foreign policy and thought of United States, which appeared in the colonial period. In the early years of the establishment of United States, George Washington promoted the three fundamental principles of isolationism in Farewell Addressing:Neutrality, Non-alignment, and Non-involvement in European affairs, which has come to be the diplomatic guiding ideology of United States. Along with the enhancement of national strength, "the mission view" and the pursuit of overseas markets, the United States has stepped onto the expansionist path gradually. In the early 19th century, in order to guarantee the America's superiority status, President Monroe issued a State of the Union Address- which came to be known as "the Monroe doctrine"-that proposed "the Monroe three principles". From then, the isolationism has enclosed expansion color. In the 1930s, the isolationism reached a climax. Taking the isolationism as an instruction, the United States used to attempt to keep itself free from the changing world. But the Pearl Harbor Incident destroyed the isolated fond dream of United States finally, and the traditional isolationism henceforth faded out United States'diplomatic stage.After the World WarⅡ, as soon as the United States leapt into the world powers, it embarked on a diplomatic path guided by internationalism, and the isolationism was very difficult to step into the American mainstream diplomacy stage again. However, as a traditional diplomatic thought, isolationism still displayed function. Whenever the United States diplomatic encounters setback, isolationism will appears again. Neo-isolationism also emerged during this period. The liberalism and the isolationism first unify to generate a new form of isolationism-Neo-liberal isolationism. After the Cold War, the United States faced a new choice of diplomatic strategy, which gave neo-isolationism an opportunity to return to the vision, and the research of isolationism has also gradually enhanced.In order to meet the requirements of the new age, neo-isolationism can not return to that degree of separation as traditional isolationism. It maintained the quintessence of the isolationism, and added a narrow national interest factor. Neo-isolationism had a wider range of isolation and a varied performance, and stressed that United States should develop national policy according to the narrow national interest. After the Cold War, neo-isolationism was being marginalized by the United States political mainstream in the elder Bush and Clinton administration. But as a voice and sentiment that can not be ignored, Neo-isolationism made an indirect impact to the U.S. foreign policy. After George W. Bush took over the power of the White House, the American foreign policy appeared a series of tendency that characterized by separating from the international society. Especially after 911 events, in order to eliminate the security threats to American, George W. Bush Administration ejected "Bush doctrine", and adopted a unilateralism policy, which has a strong isolationism color. Neo-isolationism had new development.Isolationism is a very flexible diplomatic thought and policy, changing with the American national strength, combined with different ideas, and evolving to new forms, even becoming a "political stew". Throughout the development process of isolation, whether traditional isolationism or Neo-isolationism, the goal of it is pursuing United States foreign policy independent and freedom, and the main form of expression is keeping a distance from the outside countries. This is also the most important basis to judge whether a foreign policy belongs to the isolationism category. Although the neo-isolationism could not return to the situation of "absolutely isolate" that advocated by traditional isolationism and can't become the dominating factor of U.S. foreign policy again, yet because of its deep historical precipitation and highly adaptive capacity, it will continue to make a major impact on United States foreign policy. So it is essential to make a research on it.