What happens when American interests conflict with American ideals?
I question the premise. I don’t think there’s a tension between ideals and interests. When you conduct military action as a last resort, you have to look at what interests are at stake, what values are at risk, how likely you are to achieve your goals, and at what cost. McCain doesn’t have an ideological approach; he evaluates each situation differently. Does McCain still think the U.N. can be used to advance American national security? It’s an important organization that does some things well, but in addressing certain issues it doesn’t do well. If you look at Bosnia, Kosovo, Zimbabwe, Burma—because of the veto power of Russia and China, the U.N. would be incapable of taking effective action in places where Russia or China see their interest in protecting the world’s most odious regime. That’s why McCain has called for a league of democracies.
