It¡¯s only natural that we think of ourselves as ¡°the good guys.¡±
It¡¯s hard to get out of bed when you know, deep down in your heart, that you¡¯re not advancing a good cause and making the world a better place. (The power of rationalization is strong but it only confirms the point: Justifications aim to align those efforts on the side of the angels.)
I fear that the United States takes for granted in its competition with China that the world sees it as ¡°the good guy,¡± protecting values and interests that are self-evidently superior to those advanced by Beijing. That¡¯s a mistake. There is no ¡°obviously¡± superior position in this debate as both sides appeal to their audiences¡¯ moral and material interests. The U.S. must do more to simplify and make more immediate its positions and its policies.
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