Is American Isolationism on the Rise?

Jan 5, 2007
8 minutes read time

Americans show growing signs of wanting to withdraw from an increasingly complex and frightening world. Is the isolationism of earlier decades about to return? And what would the consequences be?

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For the last 18 months I have been serving on the Lansing [Michigan] State Journal's Community Advisory Board (CAB). This has meant attending regular monthly meetings, and it has given me the opportunity to write a monthly article for the paper. Recent meetings have been particularly interesting. Like most newspapers, the State Journal's readership is declining as younger people prefer to get their news electronically, rather than the old-fashioned way. That is, of course, if they are interested in news at all. Declining readership also means declining advertising revenue as advertisers look to other media outlets to try to reach those who are younger and have higher disposable incomes. Some time ago, an article I read predicted that the last American newspaper would go out of business in 2030, based on current rates of decline in readership. The paper's response to this has been to increase local news coverage at the expense of national and world news. Local news now dominates the front page every day. "Local news sells!" we've been told repeatedly. It makes sense. People can easily get their national and international news elsewhere, but local papers remain the best source of in-depth local news. Not only financial pressures are driving newspapers toward a more parochial outlook. Readers are also becoming more withdrawn, increasingly desiring isolation from the rest of the world. This has been evidenced at recent CAB meetings. One board member summed it up very well. "I'd much rather read about the rescue of the cat stuck up a tree on the other side of town, than read news from Iraq or Afghanistan. Why should I care about what goes on in those places? That news doesn't impact me!" Well, at least the person was honest. What was, perhaps, surprising was how many of those present felt the same way. However, the reality is somewhat different—news from Iraq and Afghanistan does impact newspaper readers in Lansing, Michigan, whether they like to admit it or not. Some people just don't see it yet. Consequences of defeat At the time of writing, the United States and its coalition partners appear to be bogged down in the conflict in Iraq. In addition, Taliban fighters are again causing problems in Afghanistan. These two wars, however, are only part of the challenge the West is facing at this time, a challenge so complex that most people cannot even begin to understand it. Consequently, they would rather pretend it's not happening! People can understand the need to rescue a cat stuck up a tree, even if it's on the other side of town. They have trouble understanding the complexities of radical Islam, the sectarian violence of Iraq or the medieval mind-set of the Taliban! One reason for this limitation is ignorance of religion. Western society is predominantly secular. Even most people of faith are largely secular, confining their religious observance to one hour on a Sunday morning, if it's convenient. Often the mall or the football game wins out! So it's difficult for people to comprehend a religious fanaticism that wants to force its beliefs on everybody else. Yet that is exactly what is happening. Viewing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as localized, few see the wider challenge of radical Islam. Polls show most Americans want a U.S. pullout from Iraq immediately or within months. Few have thought of the consequences of defeat, for that's exactly what a pullout would be. It might be dressed up as a handover to a fully functioning, democratic, civilian government, but it wouldn't be seen that way throughout the Middle East. It would be perceived as a victory of Islam over infidels, the nonbelievers from the West. Emboldened by a perceived triumph directly from Allah, radical Islamists would come after the United States as a nation and Americans as individuals. No American would be safe anywhere on the planet. The dream of Islamic ascendancy over the decadent West would be within reach. Undoubtedly, one weapon they would use would be oil—using domination of the Persian Gulf to restrict Western oil supplies, thereby seriously damaging Western economies. Without a strong Christian faith, the West is unable to defend itself from Islamic radicalism. In an age of secularism and multiculturalism, Islam is seen as just another religion, equally valid with Christianity and Judaism. Radical Muslims do not see things the same way. Up to and including World War II, America won its wars because Americans had a clear vision of good and evil, right and wrong. This was the result of a strong biblical foundation that went back to colonial times. An absolute conviction that God was on America's side emboldened Americans as they went to war—and they won. Today Americans no longer have that conviction or the sense of unity that comes from a shared faith. God has been left out of the picture in the current conflicts. Consequently, God is breaking the pride of the nation's power (Leviticus 26:19). Having the greatest military force in the world is insufficient when a nation turns its back on God! The turning away from the true God that has taken place in the modern nations that are descended from ancient Israel (notably the United States, Great Britain, the nations of northwestern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada) has warped the thinking of their peoples, so that most are largely oblivious to the great threat that looms over us! In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28 warns of the consequences of national sin, of turning away from our Creator. "The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth" (verse 25)! Nations will be afraid to do business with us for fear of reprisals from the radicals. While many Americans see the last century as America's century, in reality the second half of the 20th century saw the wider West in global strategic retreat. One hundred years ago, the world was dominated by the Western colonial powers. After World War II, the Europeans dismantled their empires, unable to maintain control in the face of rising populations across the third world, while the number of Europeans was in decline. The European powers withdrew from their overseas territories, giving rise to dozens of independent countries, some of them in the Middle East. While the Western powers were preoccupied with the Cold War, the Arab world was convulsed by the spread of nationalism, with the ascension of dictators like Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Hafiz al-Assad (Syria) and Saddam Hussein (Iraq). Rise of radical Islam In 1979 a more serious challenge arose with the overthrow of the pro-Western shah of Iran and the coming to power of the ayatollahs, establishing a radical, theocratic government in Tehran. Almost three decades later, Iran is emerging as the dominant power in the Middle East. If the United States withdraws from the region, Tehran will be a regional superpower. President Ahmadinejad claims it has already become "a nuclear power." Iranians see Iran as a "sunrise" power and the United States as a "sunset" power. Already Iranian power and influence encompasses the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories—all radical Islamic groups that hate the West. Syria, a nation condemned by Washington for supporting terrorists, is also within Iran's sphere of influence. Iran and Syria are increasingly being mentioned as the two nations Washington must talk to in order to be able to withdraw from Iraq. In other words, Syria and Iran will fill the vacuum left by America. Other nations are increasingly worried about this. Iran, a non-Arab country, is predominantly Shia, while most Arab countries are Sunni. Other nations in the area see Iran's rise as a major threat to their security. Some also want nuclear weapons to counteract Iran's. The cauldron is about to boil over—just as Americans want to abdicate from their global superpower status. American withdrawal will not end the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. These will be lost, with both nations succumbing to radical Islam. This will then spur the bigger war, the global war between the jihadists and the West. Only, as most Americans withdraw into their cocoon, America may not be around to fight it. Instead, there will be another global superpower, a short-lived revival of the original West, the old Roman Empire, as 10 nations (or groups of nations) come together "with the beast" (Revelation 17:12-13). The 10 "give their power and authority to the beast," the supreme leader of the new federation. His influence and charisma will be such that "all who dwell on the earth will worship [the Beast]" (Revelation 13:8)! This superpower will exist right up to the time of the second coming of Jesus Christ, when the 10 "will make war with the Lamb" (Revelation 17:14). This superpower will be centered in Europe. Just as American isolationism between the two world wars of the 20th century resulted in major developments in Europe, so U.S. isolationism will again spur developments in the nations that once comprised the Roman Empire. The good news is that "the Lamb will overcome them" (Revelation 17:14), defeating the Beast power. Jesus Christ will return to save humankind from itself (Matthew 24:22), from a worldwide nuclear conflict that will be centered on the Middle East. As most Americans seem to be increasingly inclined to turn their backs on the rest of the world, Christians are encouraged to "watch" what is happening in the world (Matthew 24:42), so that they can "also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour [they] do not expect" (verse 44). Watch what is happening in the Middle East, a focal point of Bible prophecy. WNP
Radical Islam
Taliban
Iraq
United States
World Regions
Conflicts and War
News and Prophecy

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Melvin Rhodes

Melvin Rhodes is a member of the United Church of God congregation in Lansing, Michigan.