Selective Imperialism

"You shouldn't have come here."
--Atto (Black Hawk Down)

Many people have no problem subscribing to the belief that U.S. meddling in the affairs of other countries is inappropriate. They further believe that this meddling drives people in other countries to rightly hate America. In extreme cases this hate motivates pushback against the U.S. brand of foreign imperialism, much of which is justified.

Paradoxically, many of these same people have no problem supporting programs of domestic imperialism where a faction seeks to use the strong arm of government to forcibly meddle in the affairs of its own citizens. Such meddling is rationalized in various euphemisms--for the greater good, part of the social contract, etc. Further, they see any pushback against these internal invasions as completely unjustified.

Selective reasoning operationalized as selective imperialism.