Advice for President Obama on Resist Isolationism

Max's advice for February 13, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, President Obama.

Resist the temptation for isolationism!

Max is fairly well read on the topic of isolationism. This is, of course, the concept that a nation can set barriers to prevent outside forces from participating in its life. It makes the assumption that a single nation can be self sufficient.

There may have been times in history when this was true. Those times have passed by and we are in a world where the dangers from being isolated outweigh the benefits.

Those who think we can seal our borders, manufacture one hundred percent of our own goods, grow all our own food and employ one hundred percent of the population are not thinking straight.

The more we understand the world we live in, the more important it becomes that the people of the world begin to work together. We see everyday how small divisions between neighbors can create nothing but grief. We also see examples of how working together can bring a better life for everyone.

If you don't believe Max, just close all the entry points into and out of the United States for a month. You could call it isolation month.

In hours major tourist hubs would screech to a standstill. In a few days millions of Americans would be laid off until you came to your senses. The flow of money from nations would stop. It would make the current banking problem pale in comparison.

Within days foreign ports and transit points would begin feeling the impacts.

Fresh food that is not seasonally available in the U.S. would cease to be available in ten thousand cities. Sections of stores would become empty of product. Many restaurants with traditional dishes would have to close their doors.

More importantly, a large portion of U.S. retail trade that depends on sources outside the country would have to begin closing their doors.

You wouldn't have to worry about the stock market or the bond market. They would drop to zero for most of the values.

We would have a nation that did not have the energy to run internally which would make it impossible to continue domestic tourism and transportation. So even the things we produce internally would have no way to be distributed to the market place.

With no electricity coming from Canada, the Northeast would have to choose between brownouts or rolling blackouts. With people losing their employment in tens of millions the electrical shutoffs might allow enough power for the few who had resources to weather the storm for a short time.

A month without any movement of goods, people and services between the United States and the rest of the world would dramatically show the nation what it is like to be alone in the modern world. A few hermits might appreciate the changes, but even the homeless would be affected as the soup kitchens began to close for lack of food.

Max, of course, doesn't want you to really do this. It would be an act of desperation. Yet the military plays war games. What if you played an isolation game that the entire nation could see in a war game format. Perhaps using mayors and governors to tell the story. It might waken up the politicians to the implications of things they are doing or not doing. It could also make the country safer by better understanding the weaknesses that we have in the areas of energy, food and materials.

Max wishes you well in all your efforts to make the nation safer.

Max writes about greenways, rare diseases, timely topics, places to eat, travel and other issues of interest. He encourages you to add your comments.

Link one an article on lowering cost of manufacturing in the United States.

Link two an article on what it took a family to achieve 85% food independence.

Link three an article on 2005 republican legislation on energy independence.