Sanction of the Victor
James Miller offers an excellent analysis of the “free rider” problem in the war to liberate Iraq. (Via InstaPundit)
The phrase “sanction of the victim” (from Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged) has also come to my mind frequently during this conflict. America is probably the only major power in the world which regularly gives back territory after winning a war, and yet the America-haters around the world continue to howl about American “imperialism,” “arrogance,” etc.
When applied to the United States, these accusations are not only wrong, but are also crudely dependent on American conscience — the very thing we’re accused of not having. Yet many Americans sanction this ridiculous behavior by echoing similar sentiments, and forcing American taxpayers to continue giving the rest of the world a free ride.
