Quote from Hui a_iii_a:
So, he's not really against "evil" on principle. When "they" do something "evil", well it's evil and must be swiftly and mercilessly punished. When we do the same things, it's all hunky-dory, perfectly justifiable, because after all we're The Good Guys, and we can do no wrong.
Yup, integrity like that makes me damn Proud-To-Be-An-American.
The very best I would expect on nation to display is a sense of enlightened self interest in relation to the needs of other countries.
Somewhere along the line, people have come to expect America to be something along the lines of altruistic.
I hardly see any nation in that light, or do I think it would be possible in the long run to do so, nor do I think it is their job to do so as a nation.
It has always been possible to find the selfish and ugly side of any government or political body that has ever been in power throughout history, America is, and never has been an exception.
Most reasonable people, who have had enough life experience to see more than the simple black and white perspectives that are so attractive and tend to polarize people toward dualistic thinking, know that life is a constant negotiation with the forces of good and evil that are pervasive in our world, if not lively within our own human psyche.
For all of America's faults, and there are many, we have equally displayed the greatest restraint, overt restraint, in domination of other societies and culture.
I don't believe this is because we are at heart the nice guys. I see it as some beginning of the enlightened self interest that is necessary for a world community to survive and thrive.
It is simply not possible for a country to exist in isolation these days, especially so with the advent of technology in the form of weapons of mass destruction. 100 years ago, no Americans lived in fear of a small band of "terrorists" coming to America to unleash WMD, that could potentially kill millions.
So, with capitalism as the basis of our country, yes capitalism--not spirituality and God, it is the enlightened capitalist that understands that for the sake of his own economy he needs strong and robust economies world wide.
US Foreign policy at its heart is based on capitalism, which is another name for "national interest."
A truly enlightened self-interest and national security system would be to help create a world full of basically satiated people, who had enough food shelter and clothing to tow the line of their respective lives and societies, have some chance for upward mobility, and be content enough to not threaten our way of life.
We have acted in manners that are nothing to be proud of, and I suspect that we will do so in the future, and it is the job of the media to bring them to the publics attention.
As I have mentioned before, the key to the survival of our freedom and strength in this country is a strong and objective media presence in this country, a presence that the people can trust to be the watchdog of the system.
The problem with the ultra right and left wing approaches, is that they put off the average American, and rightly they should. Who really wants to hear vile and biased news, that seeks to do nothing but advance some political agenda?
America is not perfect, who ever thought it was? However, with all of our warts, we are still the most advanced society in recorded western history, and given a choice of supporting the 14th century mentality of Iraq and the current administration, it is simply not a difficult choice to make.
I have learned over time that the best way to promote change is within the system, slowly, gradually, and consistently.
America is not in need of a revolution at present, nor is it in need of a new constitution, etc.
As always, we are just in need of a few more enlightened public servants, who understand that serving their own self interests and national self interests for the long run are congruous, and not really opposite in nature. Extend that to foreign policy, and of course things will continue to improve.
