Why isolationism can't work

If you'd like to see a good refutation of Pat Buchanan's old-fashioned and useless conservative isolationism, check out Rich's post over at Beef Always Wins. Among other things, Rich points out that "[w]hat Buchanan fails to recognize is that our enemies are different, and their tactics have changed. In the time of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, global travel was not easily accessible to the masses, and no known weapons gave a tiny group of individuals the power to murder millions." It's funny that the Left has consistently castigated Bush for not being global enough in his outlook (how dare he refuse to sign the Kyoto Accord?), but has equally consistently refused to realize that Bush is the most global of all in recognizing that, in our new, small world, a sick country half a world away is a danger here at home.