The implicit excuse of the US during the Cold War was "It's okay if we break a few rules, because we're fighting against an opponent that is literally evil". T

The implicit excuse of the US during the Cold War was "It's okay if we break a few rules, because we're fighting against an opponent that is literally evil". That excuse starts to break down when the two sides become more and more similar, which might be what we're seeing now, but it's never a good situation to be in, even before it breaks down. See also, the internal US political scene.