A Foreign Policy Focused on American Interests
It’s easy to forget that a foreign policy prioritizing America’s interests didn’t start with Donald Trump. With global issues like Israel, Iran, Ukraine, and Russia often in the headlines, this historical context tends to get overlooked—though it’s crucial to keep in mind.
In December 1968, Frank Meyer conveyed to Henry Kissinger that “American foreign policy must be motivated by and concerned with our national interests, within broad moral constraints.” His insights, which come to light in one of many recently discovered documents, emphasize that even during the Cold War, conservatives recognized that the Soviet Union was only temporarily shifting America’s global role. The prevailing belief was that once this phase ended, U.S. engagement in far-flung nations would also diminish.
Prior to sending that letter, Kissinger, who was appointed national security adviser by Richard Nixon, sought Meyer’s guidance on American foreign relations. He even invited Meyer to speak in a Harvard class years back and arranged meetings involving notable figures like New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. Their correspondence, although infrequent, indicated a mutual respect despite differing perspectives.
However, neither Meyer nor Kissinger were entirely aligned with Nixon’s administration. In fact, that year, a German-Jewish exile consulted Rockefeller, while another influential figure supported Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign. Their backgrounds may have interconnected, but their worldviews diverged significantly.
In a reflection on Kissinger’s role, the editor of National Review remarked:
Social institutions in other countries remain indifferent to our policies as long as those policies threaten their existence. Moreover, philanthropy cannot dictate foreign policy, as that responsibility lies with individuals, not those managing taxed funds. In underdeveloped countries, the essential route to genuine economic growth involves investment governed by market principles. Policies shouldn’t be shaped by impractical utopian visions like global governance.
Trump’s foreign stance doesn’t mark a sharp departure from the interventionist views of past figures like George W. Bush or Mitt Romney; rather, it signals a temporary resurgence of the traditional American conservative perspective prevalent even during the Cold War.
Conservatives seek a government that operates within limits. Many who doubt governmental efficacy also question its capacity to reshape developing nations in America’s likeness.
Meyer, who had been part of the British Communist Party in his early years and later became a vocal opponent of it in the U.S., recognized the threat communism posed to America. He warned Kissinger that the “messiah-like” aspirations of some ideologies, striving for “world hegemony,” were dragging the United States into overseas conflicts, including Vietnam.
During a debate at Yale in 1971, Meyer stated that without the communist threat, he would oppose Vietnam, any alliances, foreign aid, and U.N. involvement. He viewed the war as part of a much larger struggle.
Later that year, facing cancer, Meyer penned his final piece titled “Principles and Heresies” for National Review. He reflected on a world free of the Soviet influence he had engaged with for over a decade and criticized elitist tendencies towards “one-world utopianism” and the imposition of democracy globally.
Meyer believed his foreign policy perspective was one of inheritance rather than invention. He referenced Washington’s farewell address, which outlined an America that was “restrained” in its global dealings. He hoped for a future where the distractions of communism were eliminated, allowing America and other nations to focus on their own affairs, potentially extending conservative principles of limited government to foreign policy.
Like Meyer, Trump’s ideas aren’t entirely new; they stem from a long-standing tradition within the right. His campaign slogan can be traced back to Pat Buchanan’s 1992 run, reflecting influences from figures like Ronald Reagan and even earlier candidates.
It’s important to note that Trump is not an isolationist, as seen in his actions regarding Iran and Ukraine. Meyer was similarly vigorous in opposing communism.
Conservative thinkers value transparency and are often wary of the government’s imposition of aid. They understand, even if others in Washington do not, that a restrained approach to foreign policy aligns with historical conservative thought.
