Might for Right
Allison Silberberg's Plain Talk
Might for Right
By Allison Silberberg
January 22, 2026
Personal note: Happy New Year to all! I took a month to decompress and try to get a fresh perspective over the holidays. Sadly, in the weeks since my last column in December, things have gotten far more disturbing for our country.
My columns are not written to regurgitate the news. I am providing context and speaking out for the truth and for justice. I am honored and grateful that you are reading my work and sharing it. Hope you keep reading.
As the world focuses right now on the meetings and conversations in Davos, Switzerland, it bears noting how a number of events have occurred in recent weeks and even months, demonstrating President Trump’s chaotic and dangerous presidency.
The question is: Does “might make right,” as Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, asserted recently?
Trump’s actions clearly subscribe to the treacherous belief that “might makes right” at home and abroad. First, I am focusing on what “might makes right” means abroad to us, our allies, and our adversaries.
In early January, President Trump invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. Regardless of how you feel about Maduro, the government of Venezuela is still controlled by Maduro’s people. What was the true purpose of that invasion and kidnapping? And what is the result of it? That invasion was clearly more about oil and investment opportunities and not drug smuggling.
And it was all done without Congressional authorization. It was an illegal use of presidential power. The Congress, which is controlled by the Republicans, has abdicated its oversight role and the idea of three equal branches of government that serve as a check on each other.
The War Powers Act has clearly been obliterated by Trump, and now Trump is emboldened and focused on taking Greenland. He has actually been talking for months about buying Greenland, or taking it over with military force, or persuading Denmark and NATO to give it to him. The fact is that we already have a military base in Greenland, and Greenland has indicated that they are willing to discuss other measures to bolster American security concerns. But understandably, they are not willing to be taken over.
Yesterday, the people of Greenland were advised to have nearly a week of food supplies in the event of an invasion by American forces. The world is on alert. NATO allies are sending their troops to Greenland to protect that territory from American aggression. It is hard to fathom.
Over the weekend, Trump sent a note to the Prime Minister of Norway and again blamed the Norwegian government that he didn’t receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Many thought it was a joke. But it’s real. Trump is bitter and blames Norway. Then in the note, he justifies his fury and states that he wants to take over Greenland. He is conflating unrelated issues.
First, the Norwegian government doesn’t issue the Nobel Peace Prize; it is given by a committee. Second, Norway is not Denmark. For many centuries, Greenland has been an autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom. Is Trump mixing up countries again? In fact, yesterday, Trump spoke repeatedly at Davos about his intentions regarding Iceland when he was clearly speaking about Greenland.
The world is laughing at Trump and they also see his madness. So while the world is laughing, they can see that he is extremely dangerous, impulsive, and has surrounded himself with sycophants.
As mentioned above, Stephen Miller told CNN that Trump wants to control and dominate our hemisphere, including Greenland. Miller used the phrase, “Might makes right.” That is a dangerous phrase, and Miller just twisted one of the great lines in literature, theater, and film. The phrase, which was a big theme of “Camelot,” is actually “might for right.” Might FOR right! “Camelot” was based upon the huge bestseller, The Once and Future King, by T.H. White.
In Camelot, King Arthur became king because when he was young, he happened to see a sword sticking out of a stone. He needed it for the knight for whom he was working. He thought that he would “borrow” the sword and return it later. So, he pulled the sword from the stone, and that is how he became king. Once he became king, he realized that he could help others and decided that he wanted to do the right thing for the people. This is the timeless theme that resonates with millions, including me. And he came up with the phrase, “Might for right,” and the idea of establishing a roundtable for the knights to discuss their disagreements in order to be civilized. It is the basis for peace-making.
“Might for right” today means we shall use dialogue and understanding to create and maintain a new world order. We can use our might to stand up to the world’s bullies, to fight for justice and for what is right. It’s an idea about using our might for noble causes, about being honorable, and living with a moral compass. Trump exhibits none of these qualities.
The point is that Stephen Miller abused a very important concept and phrase for his own purposes and Trump’s. He has twisted it to justify Trump’s invasion of another country and Trump’s threat toward a NATO ally. The hubris is shocking and threatens the international world order, which our country helped establish after the horrific devastation of World War II.
For 80 years, NATO has stood strong, but Trump has spoken out against NATO and our European allies for years. Over the weekend, Trump posted an image of a map of North America with American flags on our country, as well as Canada and Greenland. Trump has repeatedly stated that Canada should become our 51st state, which is an outrageous suggestion. And Canada is not having any of this.
Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, called these current threats from Trump a “rupture” in the world order. And he is right.
It is incredibly dangerous to threaten the existence of NATO, which is exactly what Trump and his team are doing.
As the meeting in Davos ends, the leaders of our strongest European allies are expressing alarm over Trump’s direct threat to the existence of NATO and the security of this vital alliance. Trump’s constantly changing demands and false assertions about his intentions create just the kind of instability that Putin and Xi want. These fissures, caused by Trump, open up doors and options for them to continue their own plans to carve up the world’s geopolitical map. And it will enable China to dominate the global economy.
“Might makes right” is a recipe for disaster for the U.S. and the international order that began after World War II. Trump has clearly put us at risk.
The world is in chaos because of one man.
We must stand together with our NATO allies, repudiate Donald Trump’s and Stephen Miller’s “might makes right,” and instead hold fast to the ideal that the United States be an example to the world in support of “might FOR right.” That should be our moral compass.
Allison Silberberg is a writer and public affairs/public policy consultant. She served as mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, 2016-2019. Her work includes working on staff on Capitol Hill for Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen (D-TX). She is the author of “Visionaries In Our Midst: Ordinary People who are Changing our World,” which hit #1 on Amazon’s List for Philanthropy & Charity. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, on PBS.org. To learn more, please visit: www.allisonsilberberg.com
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