Moral Underpinnings for Foreign Ploicy: Neccessity or a Drag!

Recent wars, especially those being foughtby the US are sought to be explained by the neo-cons in civilisational terms while tehre are others who feel taht these are pure and simple attempt at resource grab being indulged in by a peer-less and hence rampaging world power.

Taking their cue from the second school of thought which seeks to explain these wars as essentially attempts at economic exploitation, some public-opnion makers in mainly third world nations, have written taht nothing but `national interest' should define the foreign policy of a nation and they go further to build a case for totally self-interest' based foriegn policy.

The debate raises many questions. Main ones concerning morality. can a antion define itself purely in material terms?