Americans turning away from the world as isolationism rises to highest level since Vietnam war

Americans are turning their backs on the rest of the world, showing a tendency towards isolationism that has risen to the highest level in four decades, according to a poll published yesterday.

Almost half (49 per cent) said the U.S. should 'mind its own business' internationally and let other countries get along as best they can, the Pew Research Center found.

The results appear to conflict with President Obama's activist foreign policy, including a newly announced build-up of 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.