Nepal, Jan. 10 -- In the early 2000s, I had just entered undergraduate college as a naive young man. Nine-eleven had occurred the previous year, and the US had already invaded Afghanistan in search of Osama Bin Laden. True to form, the Americans first named their 'either with us or against us' military mission 'Infinite Justice', which was renamed to 'Enduring Freedom' when it was realised Muslims could be offended by the original term since only Allah could mete out infinite justice (such political correctness, even in a time of war!)

Consider those operation names: 'Infinite Justice'; 'Enduring Freedom'. Such grandiose phrases, all intended to make the world a better place, a safer place. The Americans were out to protect democracy, to...