Does Our Zeal to Support American Exceptionalism--Lead Us to View Other Countries as Dispensable?

[Maedhros]

1. Of course.

The United States decides, unilaterally, that certain individuals in Yemen constitute an "imminent threat" and so we drop missiles on them.

When those missiles kill innocent women and children who happen to be in the vicinity of the "imminent threat", Americans reflexively justify the "collateral damage" as "necessary" to "protect our freedom."

Because our "freedom," which is in no way threatened by the Yemeni tribesman we killed, is so much more important than those women and children. Hell, we don't even bother to learn their names. But one blond American girl goes missing in Aruba - wall-to-wall coverage, 24-7.