Commentary
Recently when I was watching the Academy Award-winning movie, “The King’s Speech,” one line stuck out to me. It was pre-World War II England and King George VI was condemning Adolf Hitler for what he called Hitler’s philosophy of “might makes right.”
King George VI and most of the Western world up to the present have thought “might makes right” is unjust because it allows someone who has more power to selfishly take advantage of someone who has less power. Perhaps this is true on a limited timeline, but when “might makes right” is looked at over the entire course of history a different conclusion can be reached.
For example, in World War II, the Axis nations ultimately lost, and it was the might of the Allies that was ultimately stronger and would go down in history as definitively “right.” So, in World War II, it turns out that might did make right. It wasn’t just that the Allies had more military power, the ideas they represented were mightier. Where Hitler was busy advancing the German state and blaming his problems on the Jewish people, former President Roosevelt was blaming “savagery and barbarism” and was in loftier pursuit of freedom.
Now, we are faced with another military conflict, this time in Libya.
There is no doubt that the United States and NATO have might and there is no doubt that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is evil. Then it makes complete sense that our country exercises with unabashed dignity and full force the philosophy of might makes right.
Do we need more justification than that? No, not really. Assuming we have the money and resources available, there should be no issue.
Unfortunately, many Americans seem to be lost somewhere between the words “might” and “right”—perhaps the rhyming is throwing them off. They just don’t get it.
The Associated Press and Fox News have made much of the fact that Obama seemed to be exaggerating Libya’s meaning to our national interest. Obama said on Monday, “I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America.” Just the day before, Obama’s secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, said Libya “was not a vital national interest to the United States, but it was an interest.”
While people are giving their lives to fight tyranny in Libya, these news outlets are purveying drivel. Sitting by with all of our power and doing nothing is really out of the question. Forget national interest, right needs to be made, and we have the might to do it.
Might is making right in Iraq and now is doing do so in Libya. President Obama is wisely steering clear of criticizing the war in Iraq because he would be undermining the philosophy that supports what we are doing in Libya right now.
Of course, this isn’t the tune that Obama has always sung. He was a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq and voted against authorizing invading Iraq in 2002. In his 2006 book, “Audacity of Hope,” Obama wrote, “Why invade Iraq and not North Korea or Burma? Why intervene in Bosnia and not Darfur?”
If you had asked Obama in 2002 if he thought might makes right, he most assuredly would have said “no.” But, if you were to ask him now, you might get a “no,” but you can bet there would be a long and winding list of ifs, ands, and buts attached to that “no.”
Let’s face what a wiser and more mature Obama knows: might does make right.
[email protected]
Friends Read Free