Tiger, Tiger,BurningBright 247sonianopinionismuchlessaggressive. Ithasnot,forexample,been
enthusiasticabouttheAmericaninterventionintheformerYugoslavia.
Theretheevidenceforunspeakableatrocitieswasmuchgreaterthanin
Kuwait,andthelegalcaseforinterventioninBosniawas strong.Yet
Jacksonianopinionsawnothreattotheinterests,asitunderstoodthem,
oftheUnitedStates,andWilsoniansweretheonlysegmentofthepopu-
lationthatwasactivelyeagerforwar.
InWorldWarIittooktheZimmermanntelegram-aGermanoffer
toMexicotoregainterritorylostintheMexicanWarinreturnforhelp-
ingGermanyagainsttheUnitedStates-andtherepeatedsinkingof
AmericanshipsindefianceofAmericanwarningstoconvinceJacksonian
opinionthatwarwasnecessary.Intheyears1937-1941neithertheRape
ofNankingnorNaziatrocitiesinEuropedrewtheUnitedStatesinto
WorldW~rII.TheattackonPearlHarbordid.
ToengageJacksoniansupportfortheColdWaritwasnecessaryto
persuadeJacksoniansthatMoscow was engagedina systematic,far-
reachingcampaignforworlddomination,andthatthiscampaignwould
succeedunlesstheUnitedStatesengagedina long-termdefensiveeffort
withthehelpofalliesaroundtheworld.(Thatthatinvolveda certain
overstatementofbothSovietintentionsandtheircapabilitiesisbeside
thepresentpoint.)OnceJacksonianswereconvincedthattheSoviet
threatwasrealandthattheColdWarwas necessary,theystayedcon-
vinced.PopulistAmericanopinionbackedtheColdWar,acceptedcon-
scription,livedwithanunprecedentedtaxburden,andworriedonlythat
thegovernmentwouldfailtoprosecutetheColdWarwiththenecessary
vIgor.
Nooneshouldmistaketheimportanceofthisstrongandconstant
support.Despitethefrequentcomplaintsbycommentatorsandpolicy
makersthattheAmericanpeopleare"isolationist"and"uninterestedin
foreignaffairs,"Americanshavemadeandwillmakeenormousfinancial
andpersonalsacrificesiftheybelievethattheseareinthenation'svital
interestsastheyunderstandthem.
Thismasspopularpatriotism,andthemartialspiritbehindit,give
theUnitedStates immenseadvantages ininternationalaffairs. Since
thetwoworldwarsnoEuropeannationhasshownthesamewillingness
topaythepriceinbloodandtreasurefora globalpresence.Mostof
the"developed"nationsfinditdifficulttomaintainlarge,high-quality
fightingforces. Thoughnotall themartialpatriotismintheUnited
StatescomesoutoftheworldofJacksonianpopulism,withouttheJack-