There’s a myth about history and politics and frankly a lot of other things that morality is a weakness. We’re taking the gloves off; “unleashing” the military or the cops; nice guys finish last; “go woke, go broke.” This is the prevailing position of the US government right now. We can’t let international law keep us from shooting Venezuelan fisherman– that would be weak. Are your high-minded ideals worth more than protecting America? 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a big believer in the “warrior ethos,” which means prioritizing some combination of masculinity and racism over logistics, compassion, basic human resources, etc. He just gave a speech about it this morning to an audience of presumably stunned and baffled generals. highlights including railing against “fat” troops, insisting we should loosen rules of engagement, and making it harder for troops to complain about discrimination or misconduct by superiors. “A few months ago I was at the White House when President Trump announced his liberation day for America's trade policy,” Hegseth said. “It was a landmark day. Well, today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors ... you kill people and break things for a living.” The President spoke after, and suggested this military of tough guys should go after his domestic opponents.

If you are reading this you probably agree all of this is morally wrong, but you might be afraid that it is practically effective at consolidating power. They have the guns, the desire to kill, a willingness to rig elections. Maybe the best we can hope for is a noble loss. Good news: this view is wrong. Easy lessons in history are rare, but this is one of them. The aesthetic of strength is not the same thing as actual strength.

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In the late 1880s, the Japanese journalist and politician Nakae Chōmin published Discourse by Three Drunkards Upon Government, a favorite political treatise of mine (and something I write more about in my book Control Science, coming in May!). It consists of three characters debating Japan’s path forward in an era of political change and economic industrialization. On the left politically we have the liberal Gentleman of Western Learning, a pacifist who advocates for disarmament and diplomacy. His opponent, the Champion of the East, is a conservative nationalist who wants Japan to become the kind of empire European states actually are rather than the liberal democracies some of them claim to be. Mediating between them is the alcoholic Master Nankai, who drinks incessantly and draws out each’s point of view.