Written by Frank Li
In this era of MAGA (Make America Great Again), there is much bashing against globalists, of whom President Woodrow Wilson has often been singled out as the worst American globalist, bearing specific “crimes” at home, such as the introduction of the federal income tax and the founding of the Federal Reserve.
It is fair neither to President Wilson nor to America! Let me compare President Wilson with President Jefferson in terms of expansionism.
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1. Who is Woodrow Wilson?
Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia.org – Woodrow Wilson.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was an American statesman and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and as Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913, before winning the 1912 presidential election. As president, he oversaw the passage United States during World War I, establishing an activist foreign policy known as “Wilsonianism.” He was one of the three key leaders at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, where he championed a new League of Nations, but he was unable to win Senate approval for U.S. participation in the League.
2. Who is Thomas Jefferson?
Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia – Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson (April 13 [O.S. April 2] 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and later served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Previously, he had been elected the second Vice President of the United States, serving under John Adams from 1797 to 1801. He was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights motivating American colonists to break from Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national level.
3. More on Woodrow Wilson
The video below is worth more than 100,000 words.
4. More on Thomas Jefferson
The video below is worth more than 100,000 words.
5. What is Wilsonianism?
Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia – Wilsonianism.
Wilsonianism or Wilsonian are words used to describe a certain type of ideological perspective on foreign policy. The term comes from the ideology of United States President Woodrow Wilson and his famous Fourteen Points that he believed would help create world peace if implemented. Wilsonianism is a form of liberal internationalism.[1]
Common principles that are often associated with “Wilsonianism” include:
- Emphasis on self-determination of peoples.[2][3]
- Advocacy of the spread of democracy[4]
- Advocacy of the spread of capitalism[5]
- Opposition to isolationism and non-interventionism[6]
- In favor of intervention[7][8]
6. Wilson vs. Jefferson
Both Presidents Jefferson and Wilson were huge expansionists. The key difference between them is “over land” vs. “overseas.”
Jefferson’s expansion was mostly territorial over land by expanding westwards, starting with the Louisiana Purchase, highlighted by the image below.
Wilson’s expansion, in contrast, was mostly overseas, chiefly in terms of ideology (e.g. democracy), commerce (e.g. free trade), and war (i.e. WWI).
Unfortunately for America, expanding overseas was much more expensive (e.g. requiring a huge navy) than over land. Furthermore, maintaining an empire overseas was also more expensive than over land. As a result, Wilson seemed to have caused much more “damage” at home than Jefferson did, such as the introduction of the federal income tax and the founding of the Federal Reserve.
Fortunately for the world, America played a critically positive role in WWI (see image below – The Big Four (WWI)), as well as in WWII, thanks, largely, to the rise, expansion, and ever increasing power of America!
Bottom line: There was no difference in motivation between Wilson’s expansion and Jefferson’s expansion: make America great. Moreover, Wilson was just yet another President following the progression of American expansionism set out by President Jefferson, followed by many, such as Monroe Doctrine and Theodore Roosevelt: 1901-1909 Imperialism.
In short, if Wilson was guilty, so was Jefferson!
7. Discussion
President Wilson was a big champion for both capitalism and democracy, globally. But is there anything wrong with it, then and now? Yes and no! Four big notes:
- Capitalism, with many endemic problems of its own, is the best thing ever happened to mankind. Capitalism has not only been feeding more and more people on earth, but also created unprecedented prosperity around the world. For example, it was capitalism that propelled the West ahead of China 200 years ago, and it is state capitalism that has enabled China to lift 600 million people out of abject poverty over the past four decades, with no end in sight.
- Capitalism is global by definition. So, killing globalism at home is killing capitalism at home! America is trying to kill globalism at home, while China loves it.
- America’s economy was capitalistic and global at its birth. For example, slavery was the result of the worst form of global trade.
- Democracy is a tried-&-failed doctrine throughout human history, without a single example of lasting success. For more, read: End of Democracy?
President Wilson was indeed a big interventionist. That alone was not a problem in his time (e.g. WWI), especially given America’s rising status.
Bottom line: Both Presidents Jefferson and Wilson did their best for America in their respective times. So, do not just blame them for our problems today! It’s intellectually lazy, if not dishonest!
What are our problems today? Two big ones:
- Democracy, as we practice it today.
- Spreading democracy globally, even by force sometimes.
When did we go wrong in terms of foreign policy and interventionism? Shortly after WWII! Two informative readings:
Worst of all, using democracy as the glue to hold the over-extended American Empire together will destroy not only the empire, but also America. For more, read: Is America the New Rome and Greece?
What, then, is the solution? Adapt or continue to fail, starting with political reforms, as I have suggested in my last book: American Democracy – Why is it failing & how to fix it?
8. Closing
Woodrow Wilson was one of the most controversial and consequential American Presidents.
While I have tried to “exonerate” President Wilson for his overseas expansion by equating it to Jefferson’s land-based expansion, I am afraid Jeffersonian America has run its course. That is, however, another big article for another day, as part of my endeavor to re-write history (History 2.0).
Now, please sit back and enjoy the long video about Woodrow Wilson …
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