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TOP<SECRET -16 B. The Second Course- Isolation. Continuation of present trends, it has been shown abovs, will lead progressively to the withdrawal of the United States from most of its present commitments in Europe and Asia and to our isolation in the Western Hemisphere and its approaches. This would result not from a conscious decision but from a failure to take the actions necessary to bring our capabilities into line with our commitments and thus to a withdrawal under pressure. This pressurs might como from our present Allies, who will tend to seek other "solutions" unless they have confidence in our determination to accelerate our efforts to build a successfully functioning political and economic system in the free world. There are some who advocate a deliberate.docision to isolate ourselves Superficially, this has some attractiveness as a course of action, for it appears to bring our commitments and capabilities into harmony by reducing the former and by concentrating our present, or perhaps even reduced, military expenditures on the defense of the United States. This argument overlooks the relativity of capabilities. With the United States in an isolated position, we would have to face the probability that the Soviet Union would quickly dominate most of Eurasia, probably without meeting armed resistance. It would thus acquire a potential far superior to our own, and would promptly proceed to develop this potential with the purpose of eliminating our powers, which s. would, AND RECORDS : FOP SECRET

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    "ocrText": "TOP<SECRET\n-16\nB.\nThe Second Course- Isolation.\nContinuation of present trends, it has been shown\nabovs, will lead progressively to the withdrawal of the\nUnited States from most of its present commitments in\nEurope and Asia and to our isolation in the Western\nHemisphere and its approaches. This would result not\nfrom a conscious decision but from a failure to take the\nactions necessary to bring our capabilities into line\nwith our commitments and thus to a withdrawal under\npressure. This pressurs might como from our present\nAllies, who will tend to seek other \"solutions\" unless\nthey have confidence in our determination to accelerate\nour efforts to build a successfully functioning political\nand economic system in the free world.\nThere are some who advocate a deliberate.docision\nto isolate ourselves Superficially, this has some\nattractiveness as a course of action, for it appears to\nbring our commitments and capabilities into harmony by\nreducing the former and by concentrating our present,\nor perhaps even reduced, military expenditures on the\ndefense of the United States.\nThis argument overlooks the relativity of\ncapabilities. With the United States in an isolated\nposition, we would have to face the probability that\nthe Soviet Union would quickly dominate most of Eurasia,\nprobably without meeting armed resistance. It would\nthus acquire a potential far superior to our own,\nand would promptly proceed to develop this potential\nwith the purpose of eliminating our powers, which\ns.\nwould,\nAND\nRECORDS\n:\nFOP SECRET"
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