For those of my fellow citizens who may be wayard of memory or absent of the previous 107 years of Western History. Herbert Hoover was the tariff supporter who reacted to the stock market crisis of 1929 with the rabid aplomb of a free market fanatic, let it be, let it be. The other historic event worth recalling is generally described as the Treaty Of Versailles.
Not the 2026 Treaty of Versailles but the one signed on June 28 1919. The terms of that 1919 Versailles Treaty included the following items. Germany had to agree that it was fully responsible for World War One. Germany would lose the right to 10% of its territory. Germany had to agree to downsize its army to 100,000 men, no airforce, no submarines. Germany had to agree to pay reparations to the tune of 132 billion gold marks, about 600 billion US dollars in todays money. The other element of the agreement included the founding of The League of Nations.
When the League of Nations was formed, documents signed, the USA chose not to be a member. It's reasons for doing so included a sense of the "loss of Sovereignty" joining the League would mean. The other movement in USA's reponse to the horrors of the First World War was a growing range of isolationist policies which combined with a mythical sense of exceptionalism. The Eagle was replaced with a home loving Turkey who wanted nothing to do with Gaul or Britainia and certainly not Germania Magna.
This sweet puritanical vision for my adopted country might have lasted had the USA's Property Owning Political Rulers not seen immense profit in carving out a new empire through the export of capitalism. Can you say "It's the Economy Stupid" without marvelling at the idiocy of our power dishevelled elites.
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