And as
history shows, democracies in their foreign policy have had generally
to choose between splendid isolation and a diplomacy that violated
their ideals. The most successful democracies, in fact, Switzerland,
Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, and America until recently, have had
no foreign policy in the European sense of that phrase. Even a rule
like the Monroe Doctrine arose from the desire to supplement the two
oceans by a glacis of states that were sufficiently republican to have
no foreign policy.
Whereas danger is a great, perhaps an indispensable condition of
autocracy, [Footnote: Fisher Ames, frightened by the democratic
revolution of 1800, wrote to Rufus King in 1802: "We need, as all
nations do, the compression on the outside of our circle of a
formidable neighbor, whose presence shall at all times excite stronger
fears than demagogues can inspire the people with towards their
government." Cited by Ford, _Rise and Growth of American
Politics,_ p. 69.] security was seen to be a necessity if democracy
was to work. There must be as little disturbance as possible of the
premise of a self-contained community. Insecurity involves surprises.
It means that there are people acting upon your life, over whom you
have no control, with whom you cannot consult. It means that forces
are at large which disturb the familiar routine, and present novel
problems about which quick and unusual decisions are required.
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