I appreciate the Whitman reference. I am a big fan of his. We can get into a long debate about how Whitman would view current U.S. politics. I will save that for another day because that is not the main point here.
You CAN NOT expect anyone to hold themselves to AMERICAN IDEALS when WE OURSELVES do not hold OURSELVES to the VERY IDEALS that we seek to profligate throughout the world.
You would suggest: when someone calls us out on our hypocrisy, we should say "Does America contradict itself? Oh well, America contradicts itself. But we are America- deep, and profound, and full of great ideals.... just go along with our romantic notion of our own contradictions and get wrapped up in the semantic swishing of our own profundities....."
I call that bunk.
Just because "the crown is heavy" (why do we need to wear a crown btw) doesn't mean that a course of action that is hypocritical and VIOLATES THE VERY RIGHT OF HUMAN BEINGS THAT OUR CONSTITUTION SETS OUT TO PROTECT is justified.
I understand that America does not exist in a little poetic bubble. I understand that our action should work in HARMONY with our ideals, not contra them. I understand that we should expect NO ONE to do what we want or join us in our actions when we blatantly disregard both our own constitution and the rights of other human beings.