george
Quote:I don't know whether or not G.W. Bush has ever studied ethics. Do you?
I haven't seen his college transcripts (possibly under lock and key) but I will, here in full public view, wager you $100 good American dollars that he didn't find any course descriptions for the available Ethics subjects to his liking.
Re the 'self interest' point. Actually, it is almost a moral relativism argument you advance - all countries are self-interested, therefore we can't make any moral judgements regarding how they procede. Three factors are relevant here, I think. First, how wide and profound are the consequences? Second, how forthright/deceitful are they in proceding? Third, how willing are they to forego principle to achieve interests? The US on the first has no peer in the world. On the second and third...well, that's what many of these threads are discussing, and as you have gathered, I am personally most aggravated by much (not all, but much too much) US behavior internationally.
Understand that I married an American lady, and that if suddenly all countries but ten were to disappear, I'd hope the US was one still around. But that doesn't mean that your country isn't engaged in policies and behaviors which are both very destructive and very dangerous, which I think it is.