‘Grow Up America’

Steel raises an important issue about the general conduct of the United States in its foreign relations: whether we truly understand the implications of our actions. As Steel rightly points out, the United States likes to see itself as representing goodness, and standing for what is right.

Yet we employ an almost endless supply of money and arms to achieve the preservation of our national interests. Even assuming those interests to be completely justified, the pervasive use of violence has resulted in U.S. actions that killed millions of people worldwide, not to mention the loss of influence, prestige and respect in the eyes of our fellow world citizens.

The underlying reason for this outcome is simple: we have confused means and ends. Throughout history, individuals and governments have suffered because they have justified the use of violence to attempt to achieve righteous goals. Yet in the end, the only result was loss of the objective and endless killing and maiming. Just look at the result of the Crusades in the 11th and 12th Century.

Today, there is also an endless array of killing, all over the world, being done in the name of one noble goal or another. That the basic principle of means and ends is not understood is abundantly clear; the United States should recognize this and begin to follow a more intelligent political course. If we simply followed the course of law internationally, as we do nationally, it would result in raising the level of political behavior several notches above its current abysmal standards.

NICHOLAS R. RAY

Encino