Soon after World War II, this summons formed the basis for a durable foreign policy consensus. As a conscious expression of historical learning, that consensus centered on avoiding any recurrence of the mistakes made during the 1930s in belatedly and ineffectually responding to the gathering danger posed by Hitler. The United States would permanently forswear isolationism. It would maintain at the ready mighty armed forces. It would never appease. It would come to the aid of those victimized by aggression. It would resist evil.
