David Hein

Educational institutions must balance instilling appreciation for Western civilization while still allowing the intellectual freedom to grow and progress

General Matthew Ridgway was a conservative internationalist who supported free institutions, defense alliances, and unsurpassed military might while opposing unsustainable wars beyond the range of national interests.

Neither active idealism (a massive humanitarian intervention) nor defensive realism (an anticommunist security strategy) quite comes to grips with the Marshall Plan’s rationale. Americans would not have been so committed to spending these large, sacrificial sums except that their own core beliefs, values, and institutions were at risk.