In October 1941, illustrator Theodore Seuss Geisel, the later famous Dr. Suess penned this very cartoon depicting the doting “America First” isolationist fervor that swept the nation during the interwar period between WWI and WWII. The America First movement, originally deriving its name from the America First Committee that petitioned for neutrality before WWII, represents both an isolationist and protectionist approach to U.S. foreign affairs and trade policy. Optimists call this American domestic prioritization. Skeptics call it naïveté.
Dr. Suess’s early political cartoons have recently regained their acclaim parallel to the resurgence of America First as a mainstream ideology and thought. This isolationist and inward-seeking phase in the United States ebbed sharply with the Cold War, and would have been largely forgotten if Donald J. Trump had not descended the escalator on that fateful day in 2015.
Much reporting has already been done regarding the newfound relevancy of Dr. Seuss’s cartoons in relation to the America First foreign policy now espoused by a strong segment of the Republican Party. What has not been reported is the terrifying pertinence this cartoon now has in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the invasion began, thousands of Ukrainians have died in the conflict, with millions displaced from their homes. The silver lining has been the Ukrainian people and their resistance against the Russian war machine. The perseverance that the Ukraine people have shown is unequivocally heroic and inspiring. The United States and other allies' support for Ukraine has thus far been exceptional, but not without its flaws and varied timing. Yet what seeks to derail Ukrainian defense and continued support the most is the continued isolationist wildfire that is only further fueled by Russian disinformation.
In this lies the true relevancy of Dr. Seuss’s cartoon. This particular illustration is apt considering the horrors that have plagued the Ukrainian youth and children since the beginning of the war. The International Criminal Court issued not only an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked war, but also for Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. Serving as Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President, Ms. Lvova-Belova has been charged with responsibility for the war crime of “unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation” (ICC). The reality is that whether the United States cares or not, events such as this will continue to happen.
Therefore, would it not be better to instead of ignoring the issues choose to lead out on them? This does not mean boots on the ground, nor does it mean supposed unconditional aid that has been pedaled by misinformationists. In reality, military and financial aid to Ukraine has not only done more to deteriorate the military capabilities of one of the worlds greatest security actors such as Russia, but it has revitalized the American defense industry and stirred up much needed innovation and renewal when it come to national security technology. If support for Ukraine were not for a humanist nor for a moralistic reasoning, then at the very least it is for the variety of tangible security and geopolitical benefits the United States gains from a Ukraine independent of Russian control.
Like Dr. Suess’s foray into political cartoons, the United States has made serious mistakes before in its policies. Americans cannot and should not forget the “forever wars”. A more moderated approach to international security because of these shared national experiences is healthy and appropriate. Yet these experiences should not be hardened into geopolitical timidity, especially as China continues to act as an aggressive competitor and threats like Iran and North Korea are more active. Ukraine capitulating only further empowers aggressors throughout the world and enables autocrats to act without consequences. I believe America First at its heart is an honest plea from working Americans who have felt left behind by the economic tumult of globalization and a technological reindustrializtion. But the reality is that America First has never changed the domestic status quo for the better, and denial of the international system will only lead to long-term harms for not only working Americans but for all Americans.
Global supply chains in the Middle East, European energy trades, chipmaking in Taiwan and their democratic integrity. Each of these may seem far off and isolated from our own day-to-day lives, but they really DO matter. We live in a globalized world, and there are conversations to be had about how to best protect communities from the negative impacts. But ignoring the current situations across the globe will not help. Just as Dr. Seuss warned us about isolationism in the face of German aggression, we too must contemplate our own place in the face of blatant Russian aggression.