Slaughter

by tristero

It sounds real high-toned and nice, but as far as I’m concerned, this is just imperialism with a human face. David Rieff has this about right. American exceptionalism is not something to celebrate but to strongly oppose for There Lie Monsters. Let’s not forget where this goody two-shoe-ism leads, which is usually straight into debacles. But I must admit: It’s true we haven’t had any foreign policy disasters recently trying to export Truth, Justice, and The American Way. Except for Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Darfur, Russia, Kyoto, Darfur, Mexico, Venezuela, and Pakistan. To name just a few.

Michael Lind also has much goodness to say (subscription to nation needed to access the link) in criticizing Slaughter’s position. He calls it “neoconservatism with a human face.”

Imperialism or neoconservatism, or whatever. it’s a rotten idea to think you’ve got the kind of country everyone else wants to live in, and the kind of values everyone else should have. Believe it or not, my fellow Americans, but there actually are people in this wide world of ours who really don’t find “Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire” either entertaining or amusing. As for systems of government, believe it or not, my fellow Americans, there actually are countries with better ones. This country would be a far better place if it banned capital punishment. And made it illegal to skip voting. And embraced some sections of the South African Constitution. And actually educated its kids in science. And had a working system of healthcare for all.

Me, I’d just settle for a media as free as Finland’s. (But you can hold the raw chopped reindeer meat, thank you very much.)

Does this mean realism, isolationism, and no “values” in foreign policy? Of course not. But the best way to spread your own values is to not to proletyze or impose them on others, but simply to live them.

And a fabulously wealthy country that hasn’t done right for its own citizens – remember Katrina? and oh how I could go on – has little reason to talk Ms. Slaughter’s kind of talk, except as a cynical pretext for interfering for its own purposes in places it has no right to.