Perfect isolationism.

We assume an timeline without WW-I and WW-II (Franz Ferdinand don't go to Sarajevo,and European powers find a balance).
In a situation like this is possible to hypothesize a "perfect" isolationism for United States? A world in wich the wet dreams of isolationists become true,and USA are close in his continent not interested by rest of the globe?
For the average American citzen a timeline like this is better or worse of OTL (for exemple,i presume that taxes are more low) ?
 
Classic 'isolationists' don't want isolation, what they want is trade with all and alliances with none. They're after a deal very similar to that Switzerland had for much of its history, with oceans subtituting for mountain ranges.
 
This is obvious,
But this scenario ("a very BIG switzerland") would be better or worse for American peoples,and how would be changed the USA society (compares to OTL)?
More conservative,more liberal ?
more RICH ?
 

mowque

Banned
Too many other butterflies to consider. And it is near ASB. By 1900 America was rapidly becoming a world power with an economy that was quickly (as it would in 1925, assuming no WW1) matching ALL OF EUROPE. Can't keep that candle under a bushel basket.
 
Well, consider the US in WWI. If it were a bonafide 'isolationist' state it would trade with both parties in the war insofar as it was able, but lending to belligerents would be seriously limited. This is because such lending tends to be viewed as a hostile act by the other side and it also has a vortex effect dragging you into the war (if your debtors look like they might go under economically and not be able to repay you). My guess is that WWI would not go on anywhere near as long because the Entente wouldn't be able to afford it without the loans (wasn't France basically able to mobilize so many soldiers as it did because it didn't have to feed itself?).
 

Cook

Banned
In a situation like this is possible to hypothesize a "perfect" isolationism for United States? A world in wich the wet dreams of isolationists become true,and USA are close in his continent not interested by rest of the globe?

No, because the United States never operated in perfect Isolationism and never wanted to; the US occupied the Philippines and had trade interests, enclaves and gunboats in China and a strong stake in an ‘Open Door’ trade policy in China.
 
Well, consider the US in WWI. If it were a bonafide 'isolationist' state it would trade with both parties in the war insofar as it was able, but lending to belligerents would be seriously limited.

This is if you regard isolationism as being synonymous with 'textbook neutrality' ie Switzerland.

Of course we are talking here about isolationism, not neutrality, but it would seem to me that OTL US isolationism was more similar to the neutrality of OTL Sweden (which both during WWII and the Cold War entered into agreements, some secret*, with belligerents/opposing sides), as opposed to 'textbook neutral' of Switzerland.







*During the Cold War, neutral Sweden had a secret defence agreement with the US and in fact designed many of its military installations in such as way that they could be integrated into NATO operations in the event of the Cold War turning Hot. Similarly, the Swedish intelligence services maintained strong links with other Western intelligence agencies.
 
Classic 'isolationists' don't want isolation, what they want is trade with all and alliances with none. They're after a deal very similar to that Switzerland had for much of its history, with oceans subtituting for mountain ranges.

With the option to invade neighbouring countries 'in their own backyard'.
 
With the option to invade neighbouring countries 'in their own backyard'.

Of course, the US's algorithm viewed from the outside for its first hundred years or so was to progressively manuever any other major power out of the Americas and to absorb as much territory within it as it could comfortably assimilate without the expense or issues of maintaining large standing armies. This gave it an enormous economic advantage over the countries of Europe.
 
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