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Washington's Farewell Address: Section 3: Warning Against Foreign Alliances Summary

We See London, We See France…

  • Be nice to all countries.
  • Allying with one country over another makes you kind of their slave—and pulls you into conflicts.
  • You end up getting into fights that you don't have a real stake in, plus you get perks that make other countries even more upset.
  • The United States should promote economic ties with Europe but not political ones.
  • Europe has a lot of issues among its countries that don't concern the United States.
  • Why should America forgo its own interests to embrace those of Europe?
  • It's also silly to think that the United States will really get benefits from allying with another country.
  • Washington is still convinced that declaring neutrality in 1793 was the right move to make.