I think this is important. We are self-interested, sure, but we also have some values that make our dominance a pretty good thing for our like-minded allies. It is better to prefer liberty to oppression, voting to coups, and life to violence. I want the US to live up to these values (more and more; it’s a mixed record to be sure), even i…
I think this is important. We are self-interested, sure, but we also have some values that make our dominance a pretty good thing for our like-minded allies. It is better to prefer liberty to oppression, voting to coups, and life to violence. I want the US to live up to these values (more and more; it’s a mixed record to be sure), even if we sacrifice some advantage that a cold-hearted realist would find in extorting a neighbor, say.
I think this is important. We are self-interested, sure, but we also have some values that make our dominance a pretty good thing for our like-minded allies. It is better to prefer liberty to oppression, voting to coups, and life to violence. I want the US to live up to these values (more and more; it’s a mixed record to be sure), even if we sacrifice some advantage that a cold-hearted realist would find in extorting a neighbor, say.