"But your opinion is possibly more dangerous: it removes any incentive for a country to even attempt to appear exemplary and dimish its crimes."

My opinion was that all cultures need to focus their attentions on their own backyards before they go presuming that they have moral dignity on their side. The fact of the matter is a great majority of nations are run by pervasively corrupt people and governments and as such any attempt to regulae or dispense moral judgement would be filtered through beauracracies that nobody respects as dignified enough to even talk about somebody else.

How many people would respect admonishment from Bill Clinto in terms of misogony and disrespect of women? And while he's pointing fingers when do the other nations get a chance to call america on all the bullshit they're doing? The United Nations would be reduced to squabbling (as if it isnt that already) As I said - where would we start? subsequently when would it end?

My opinion doesnt sacrifice any "incentive for a country to even attempt to appear exemplary and dimish its crimes" it recognizes that each country should be accountable to its own crimes and actions as opposed to judging somebody elses.

K