...how do you justify to yourself that you’re still a good person
even though you arm, prop up, empower and enable the world’s worst 
monsters, genocides, and tyrannies?
simple: by pretending that you don’t do any of that, 
that such acts are contrary to your system of values, 
that you actually work to oppose rather than protect such atrocities, 
that you’re a warrior and crusader for democracy, freedom and human rights 
around the world.
that’s the lie that you have to tell yourself: 
so that you can look in the mirror without instantly feeling revulsion, 
so that you can show your face in decent society without suffering 
the scorn and ostracization that your actions merit, 
so that you can convince the population over which you have ruled 
that the bombs you drop and the weapons with which you flood the world 
are actually designed to help and protect people 
rather than slaughter and oppress them.


glen greenwald,
nov. 24
the intercept