Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government. the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.

Why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?

It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat it, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them.
While the international environment has evolved considerably since President's Washington's farewell address, much of his wisdom still applies. I'm very fond of his warning about interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe (today that would mean anywhere in the world). I don't think we need to get involved in other country's phase 0 insurgency problems, because to be frank it is seldom in our interest, and seldom in the interest of the other nation.

The take away from this debate is we should be very deliberate before we intervene. There are tens and tens of said situations around the world, that doesn't mean it our nation's role to address each one of them. As Ken stated we had an ideologue drag us into Vietnam against the advice of wise council to the contrary. Sometimes isn't a matter of doing the right things, the fact is some situations are unwinable and we don't need to spend American blood, treasure and sour our international reputation by intervening everywhere. We need to protect the homeland, and to protect our true interests overseas period. Anything else we get involved in will impact our ability, normally for the worse, to protect the homeland and our true interests.