You also don't protect him unconditionally if the police come to the house and say he just beat up another neighbor's son and sold drugs to someone's daughter a few blocks down the street.

China's bilateral cooperation "without hectoring" includes it cosy relationship with Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is short on friends in the Western world. Zimbabwe cherishes the absence of much-needed hectoring from its co-dictatorship to the east. Fortunately, all dictatorships eventually over-reach and fall.

Sometimes, the United States stops hectoring dictators. Sometimes, it actually sends troops to overthrow them. Good.

John Gershman should ask people in Taiwan and HK if mainland China is a "good neighbor." Have him travel to Nepal to ask Tibetans what they think of China's neighborliness. Ask Vietnam.

Gershman is typical of a certain kind of American. For him, it's always wrong when America hectors other countries, even when we're right. But when other countries hector us, it's always our fault, even when they're wrong.

Of course, America isn't perfect. But everytime I return to this country from abroad, I always want to kiss the earth. It is a land where my children and my children's children won't have to worry about being murdered by self-righteous and self-proclaimed saviors of the people.