Thursday, August 21, 2014

On the League of Nations

It is quite possibly the stupidest idea ever put forth by an American President (Woodrow Wilson). a) It only included those countries (and their friends) which fought on the winning side of WW1 (attaway to offer up peace and reconciliation, huh?). b) It was essentially just another form of alliance (the very same concept that plunged the world into war in the first place!) in which each of the member countries was obliged to come to the aid of the others if attacked. c) It allowed (and even fostered) trade and immigration restrictions (additional factors that led to the war). And d) it didn't even address the concept of civil wars and other forms of internal oppression (which is fine but if the goal of the organization was to eliminate all wars and make the world safe for democracy....). To say this entity was in any way, shape, or form an instrument of peace is a joke.......................................................................................P.S. And, yes, if a case can be made that Washington (who warmed us about "entangling alliances") and Eisenhower (who warned us about the "Military Industrial Complex") were America's two wisest Presidents, an equally solid case can be made that Wilson was the stupidest (just that Fiasco in Mexico alone is sufficient to make the grade).

6 comments:

dmarks said...

At least Bush didn't crack down on trade or immigration (both equally symptoms of hatred and bigotry), whatever else he got wrong.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Oh, Wilson is way worse than Bush. I mean, the guy was the architect of segregation, for Christ.

dmarks said...

Ugh. Racism wasn't one of GWB's flaws either.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

He, Wilson, segregated not just the whole federal work force but the military, too. How this fellow can be a hero to anybody is a huge head-scratcher.

dmarks said...

Hundreds of thousands died due to the creation of Yugoslavia, something in which Wilson had a major influence. Attaching Kosovo to Serbia against its will being just one of the bungles inside this one.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

And on civil liberties, too, he was worse than Bush; the espionage and sedition acts which basically made the U.S. a nation under lockdown.