What about the oil from the Middle East? What of the foreign bases and embassies America has abroad? The private sector can do things better than the government can. Imagine if America had that mindset when Henry Ford came out with the Model T's in 1908, and somewhat relatively close to when the Wright Brothers first flew in 1903. America would have the first cars and the first airplanes. And then America privatizes those industries.
Imagine if America were to close itself off from the world. Say you cared nothing about international affairs at that time where neither that assassination of that Archduke Franz Ferdinand means nothing to you, nor does Hitler. So America stays out of World War I and II, I suggest that the technological development capabilities by countries outside America would leave America in the dust if America were to close itself off from the world.
Look at the rocket accomplishments by Wernher Von Braun with what he did for the Nazis, it was so remarkable America excused his Nazi crimes if he brought his skills to America? Not to mention Sputnik? Not to mention the inevitable explosive technological growth in Taiwan, Japan, or anywhere in the East? If you doubt me there try making a cellphone or a computer from scratch without any subcomponents or it's software or firmware development outside America
@edlarson ? Start with spare parts from Radio Shack, if it still exists?
Closing America off from the world is a losing strategy where her c.hildren or grandc.hildren or greatgrandc.hildren would eventually curse your grave.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T )
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Flyer )
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I )
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun )
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1 )
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