The Romans didn’t see themselves as bad either, nor did Cesar, and I suppose to some degree your idea of simply choosing ones own side and putting on blinders works for those that benefit from the system or feel some loyalty towards it.
The problem is that when you become pushy, brazen, forceful, no longer care about other people’s concerns, folks eventually begin to gang up on you and at some point you’ll be shocked as even Brutus plunges a knife into you.
Kings/empires that survive the test of time understand this concept. It’s not weakness or apathy, it’s not appeasement or a lack of principles, it’s realizing that no matter how big you think you are, if you act like an ass, folks will eventually cheer as you fall.
Nature is lazy and entropy is real. When you have global organizations forming that are in obvious opposition to your own power, some of its members former allies, many wanting to join, your biggest trade partners being part of that, there is a reason. That doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. There was/is an impetus for this. When your own neighbor doesn’t like you despite being in a trade agreement with you, millions of their people in our country and millions of our people retiring and vacationing in theirs, there is a reason.
For for the time being, enjoy your high.
Are you RCP?