“Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and foreign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged.”
- January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945
- American
- Politician
- [Achievements]
- As president of the United States, he promoted economic recovery from the Great Depression with the New Deal policy
- He led the Allied powers to victory in World War II
- [Criticism]
- His hard-line policy toward Japan triggered the attack on Pearl Harbor
- He pushed for the forced internment policy of Japanese Americans due to racist feelings toward the Japanese
- He promoted the Manhattan Project, a plan to develop the atomic bomb
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Quote
“Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and foreign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged.”
Explanation
In this quote, Franklin D. Roosevelt acknowledges the American commitment to avoiding unnecessary involvement in foreign conflicts and entanglements, a principle rooted in the country’s tradition of isolationism. However, Roosevelt emphasizes that while the U.S. may strive to remain neutral in international conflicts, this does not mean the nation should be indifferent to the challenges faced by the ideals and principles it holds dear, such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. Roosevelt was making the case that the defense of these values was critical, even if it meant confronting the threats to those ideals abroad.
This statement was particularly significant as Roosevelt was navigating a difficult diplomatic path leading up to the United States’ entry into World War II. While the U.S. had tried to maintain a policy of non-intervention, Roosevelt believed that when the foundational values of freedom and justice were under attack, the country could not simply remain passive. He understood that, while the nation wanted to avoid direct involvement in foreign wars, it had a moral obligation to intervene when the core values of democracy were threatened globally. This sentiment was part of Roosevelt’s rationale for supporting the Allied powers before the U.S. formally entered the war, through programs like Lend-Lease.
In the modern context, Roosevelt’s words remind us that a nation’s commitment to its ideals can sometimes require international engagement, even if it means stepping away from strict non-intervention. Issues such as human rights violations, dictatorship, and global conflict continue to challenge the values that many democracies, including the U.S., hold dear. Roosevelt’s quote serves as a reminder that national interests are not just defined by political or economic concerns, but by a broader moral framework that calls for action when core principles are at risk.
