Quote:
ARTelevision typed:
The first statement is self-evident and needs no elucidation.
You are interpreting self-interest in your own idiosyncratic way.
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If the definition of self-interest is really that broad, then your statement means basically nothing.
And a statement that means nothing cannot generate conclusions that don't mean nothing.
You claim that nations act on their own pragmatic self interest. Explain the British ban on slavery, how was that pragmatic? I claim it was self-interest: idealistic self-interest, for the most part.
My arguement is that the world isn't nearly as pragmatic as you seem to believe. Ideals do matter, and nations act on them.