If you are a Rand fan, you can surely understand the argument that altruism is not the standard of good. Like capitalist economics, the self-interested actions of all parties benefits all.
I understand that quite well, well enough to not expect others to give up their freedom and defer to me no matter how much of a force of good I am or may think I am. They get to decide what's good for them, not me. Altruism has nothing to do with it. It's about deciding what's in our own long term best interests.
You said "the self-interested actions of all parties." That is precisely what I'm advocating. What you are arguing is that some of the parties subordinate their own determination of their own self interest to the US.
That isn't describing things as they are, it is being apologetic for our strength.
We recognize our strength. We don't seem to have settled yet on how we are going to use it. We can play big daddy and dictate to the world. Or we can respect partners, even if those partners are weaker than we, even though we know and they know that we could blow them away if we wanted to. I think that the latter is in our long term best interests, even if there's a certain amount of smoke blowing involved.
If, in my scenario, we decide that it's in it's our best interests to invade Iraq and, say, Germany determines that not to be in Germany's best interests, Germany has every right and every obligation to try to change our minds, to try to stop us from doing what they perceive to be harmful to them. As you said, "the self-interested actions of all parties benefits all." I think we must respect them for that, then do whatever is best for us, whatever that may be. If Germany is in our way, we do what we need to get Germany out of the way. This whining about how they don't appreciate what we are doing for them as we march off to save the world is disgusting, IMO.
Derek, you can have this: "the self-interested actions of all parties benefits all." Or you can have "expecting others to appreciate that America acting in its own self-interest has the 'second-order effect' of furthering the greater good." They may be compatible most of the time but not all the time. You have to choose which principle you value most. |
