Is there a difference between cutting someone’s head off, and feeding them soup? Between sadistic acts of violence, and selfless acts of generosity?
These would seem to relatively unproblematic distinctions, yet our modern Left appears unable to make them. When a nation is submerged in State-sponsored savagery, that helps no one who needed help, they call it good. When a nation like the United States see steady economic growth for two centuries, creating the wealthiest “poor” class in human history, they call it bad, and try to undermine it.
Edit: concrete example: Michael Yon talked about coming across a silent village while on patrol with some American and I believe Iraqi soldiers. Jihadists had beheaded an entire village, including small children. There were numerous stories of jihadists raping, torturing and/or killing the children of sheikhs and opponents right in front of them. Self evidently, Saddam Hussein himself employed torture. His sons had rape rooms.
Yet, where did we see any of this discussed as morally problematic in recent years? What we see are condemnations of George Bush. Why? Among other things, since he is the LEAST threatening opponent they face, he’s easy. It doesn’t take courage to oppose him. An activist group was apparently even trying to get him arrested for war crimes on a trip to Switzerland.
If torture is wrong, then it is always wrong. It is wrong when we do it, and when other nations do it. It is to be opposed wherever it happens. In terms of the flow of words, though, they generally are in support of nations that are anti-American, even if they are much more vicious. Iran would be an outstanding example. The Shah–facing a revolution that eventually succeeded–was mean. The theocracy that followed him has been much, much worse. This moral “measurement”, though, is impossible for people whose public behavior is not fundamentally principle oriented.
Abu Ghraib was not right. Nor was it the equivalent of beheading an entire village, including some children. Not even close. Not within an order of magnitude.
Anyone who wants to do good in this world has to have some fundamental way of measuring it. This, in turn, relies on the application of general principles, themselves answerable to rationality in general. No rationality: no goodness.