Oscar Wilde compared to Andrew Bacevich

[Angus]

The Quote “You don't understand what friendship is…or what enmity is,
for that matter. You like every one; that is to say, you are
indifferent to every one.” from Oscar Wilde’s book “A Picture of
Dorian Gray” is a comment upon the true nature of friendship. Wilde
portrays Lord Henry in this quote as someone who is completely self
absorbed, who thinks the world revolves around him, and who uses
people for his own enjoyment. Andrew Bacevich’s quote about Americans
facing a choice to “curb their appetites and learn to live within
their means, or deploy… United States power in obliging others to
accommodate” them as their power expanded abroad after World War II
from his book “Limits of Power” can also be seen as a comment upon the
true nature of friendship. If America is going to reverse its decline
it must treat its friends with respect and learn about their
individual cultures rather than trying to impose American ideals
unilaterally.