Doubtless many (though not all) US conservatives will approve of former President George W. Bush’s criticisms of isolationism and protectionism.
But for some, his concern about nativism may be more problematic.
To explain his concern, Bush spoke of three recurring “isms” in America: “One is isolationism, and its evil twin, protectionism, and its evil triplet, nativism,” Bush said at Southern Methodist University in Dallas late last month.
Bush said he thinks a rational immigration policy will eventually be passed, but it’s still a ways off.
He referred to the 1920s, when Congress passed an immigration law that set a cap of the number of immigrants the U.S. would accept each year. Bush said the legislation was intended to limit the number of “Jews and Italians” in America.
“My point is, we’ve been through this kind of period of isolationism, protectionism, nativism,” he said. “I’m a little concerned that we may be going through the same period. I hope that these ‘isms’ pass,” he said, adding that it would allow the U.S. a more orderly look at immigration policy.
Bush said growing up in Texas gave him the opportunity to interact with different cultures.
“We ought to welcome people from different cultures to America,” he said.
As for myself, I agree on the evils of isolationism and nativism. But I think that “protectionism” is too often invoked against those seeking a more level playing field in international trade.
