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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