Washington set out his vision of what would make the United States a truly great nation. He called for men to put aside party and unite for the common good, an "American character" wholly free of foreign attachments. The United States must concentrate only on American interests, and while the country ought to be friendly and open its commerce to all nations, it should avoid becoming involved in foreign wars. Contrary to some opinion, Washington did not call for isolation, only the avoidance of entangling alliances. While he called for maintenance of the treaty with France signed during the American Revolution, the problems created by that treaty ought to be clear. The United States must "act for ourselves and not for others."
This is what George Washington saw as a foriegn policy that would be beneficial to the United States now and forever. The signing of allegiances only serves to pull our nation into conflicts that have no direct consequence. We need not be isolationist but we must focus on the matters that directly affect our nation. To be pulled in to other conflicts not of our making spreads us too thin and unable to tend to ou own concerns.
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