Q & A with Tonali Windslor, author of “Isolation Moderation”

Entrepreneur Tonali Windslor has recently released his first book, “Isolation Moderation.” Windslor, a graduate of Norwich University with a degree in Diplomacy, has analyzed and broken down what he believes are the key positions nations must take on crucial issues in order to survive in the 21st-century globalized world. The book is broken down into five sections: Closed Borders, National Defense, Free Trade, Peaceful Relations, and Social Affairs.

Why did you write this book?

Ever since I was very young, I have always liked to come up with new ideas for things. When I was a teenager, I started to become interested in political systems and began developing the idea for this book. By the time I graduated from high school, I already had the general outline. I took a break from working on this book for nearly 10 years. During that time I did many things including getting both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, serving for several years in the U.S. military, starting several business ventures, and working in a variety of occupations.

In the summer of 2018, I went back and completed this book. Following this, I began to hire a large team of people to help develop it, including editors, illustrators, translators, and designers. At this point, the book has been translated into most of the world’s languages. The European languages will be available during the first half of 2020, and the Middle Eastern and Asian languages will be released during the final part of 2020. Overall, almost 100 people have helped.

Ultimately, I wanted to write this book because I wanted to get ordinary people thinking about international matters, and hopefully restore balance in the international system.

What is your background in foreign policy? Why should we listen to what you have to say?

The main reason why people should listen to these ideas is because they are an innovative approach to foreign policy that are backed by historically sound examples. It is not just a theory, but rather a system based upon facts. Ultimately, these ideas seek to restore a sense of balance in international relations, which in its current state is out out balance.

People should listen to me because I am not part of the "system,” meaning that I do not stand to benefit from these ideas in one way or another. Since I do not work in the field of international relations, I do not need to worry about offending the people who hold power within this system. I am not backed by an organization or a wealthy individual. I manage a small, under-the-radar company that develops and publishes these ideas. This gives me a lot of freedom to do and say what I want without having to go through a gatekeeper.

Explain the book’s title: Isolation Moderation

The title, ‘Isolation Moderation’ simply refers to a foreign policy system of moderate isolationism. It all goes back to the idea of balance. It is an isolationist system, but carried out in moderation, not too much or too little.

Who should read this book?

This book was written for anyone to read, which is why I wrote it in the simplest language possible and provided a glossary of key terms. For the most part, anyone who is interested in politics should read this book. However, the book may be slightly more appealing to political science students or conservative thinkers, including libertarians.

The second part of this book, which will be released in 2021 will cover domestic policy and be much more liberal in terms of its ideas. I am sure that this part will be more appealing to liberal-minded people. I already have several high-quality people helping to develop the book. A number of them have worked in both the U.S. Congress and the White House with top leaders in the nation developing policy.

What is your goal with this book?

The main goal that I have with this book is to provide value to people by providing them with an interesting read and new ideas to reflect upon. I also believe that many of these ideas will help to restore a sense of balance within the international system, which is something that the world greatly needs.

What is the most controversial idea in the book, according to a liberal?

There may be several ideas in this book that liberals may not agree with. These can include the areas covering closed borders and immigration restrictions, along with maintaining a strong military. However, there are some ideas in this book that liberals probably will agree with, including the Foreign Charity Service and the focus upon equality.

What is the most controversial, according to a conservative?

Ultimately, it will come down to what kind of a conservative they are. For example, neoconservatives will likely disagree with a non-interventional military. There may also be some paleo-conservatives that do not think that these ideas go far enough, particularly when it comes to immigration matters or foreign aid.

What is the most important takeaway for each side (liberal, conservative)?

I think that the greatest takeaway for both liberals and conservatives is that this book will provide a new perspective for them to consider when it comes to international relations, and maybe even challenge some of their currently held views. My hope is that readers of this book will come away more informed about these matters than they were before, even if they do not agree with everything.

Do you consider yourself to be conservative, liberal, or something else? Do you support a particular political party?

At this time, I do not affiliate with a particular political party. I would consider my self to be independent in this regard. Regarding ideology, I have a mix of both liberal and conservative views, depending on the topic. Overall, I would probably consider myself a moderate, which is why I have never firmly associated with a specific political party.

What would you say to people that think some of your ideas may be too idealistic?

There will always be people who think that new ideas are too idealistic or too complicated to be put into action. The same thing was probably said when Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of Nations,” or when Karl Marx wrote “The Communist Manifesto.” However, it is important to understand that all the great ideas that came into the world were once considered too idealistic or unattainable by some. There are two types of people in the world: those who follow the system and those that work to change the system. If one does not seek to change the system, then they will have no other choice but to live under the system that others have created for them. All of these changes start from a new idea.

Also, the framework of this book focuses on five main areas that any nation can follow for prosperity in today’s world. They are simple enough that they can work in every type of culture and government system, while also flexible enough where they can be implemented in the best way possible.

Who is your “favorite” political leader?

I would have to say that my favorite political leader is George Washington, the first U.S. president. Many of the ideas found in this book can be traced back to his own views. This is especially true when it comes to neutrality in both foreign policy and military affairs.

If you are interested in learning more about these ideas, please order your own copy of Isolation Moderation.