It’s amusing watching heads explode over Putin stating a few obvious truths the rest of the planet already knew.
It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.
Exceptionalism leads to believing you are infallible and the rules don’t apply to you. Putin is indeed correct
It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan “you’re either with us or against us.”
But force has proved ineffective and pointless. Afghanistan is reeling, and no one can say what will happen after international forces withdraw. Libya is divided into tribes and clans. In Iraq the civil war continues, with dozens killed each day. In the United States, many draw an analogy between Iraq and Syria, and ask why their government would want to repeat recent mistakes.
That Putin may be a thug doesn’t lessen the impact of his NYT article. The US really doesn’t like being criticized or being told Exceptionalism is rubbish.
That’s why we kill messengers.