Recently President Obama spoke at the U.S. Military’s academy at West Point. The speech was an interesting one to say the least. Of course being Commander and Chief the President had to make a strong speech at this the countries most known military academy. The rhetoric was strong and the president was without doubt making a statement to those that would criticize his foreign policy.

So what was said? A large portion of the speech and what is being analyzed here is the idea of the U.S.’s military strength in the world. The President referred to the military’s presence in the world many times. His statements regarding military achievement show this, “Our military has no peer. The odds of a direct threat against us by any nation are low, and do not come close to the dangers we faced during the Cold War.”

The President makes this claim with confidence. He also comments on the military being a “backbone” and the abilities it has to defend the moral obligations the U.S. has around the world. Of course more importantly the nations interests across the globe.

He rebuffs the claims of many that the U.S. is in decline that its power has been limited and it can no longer project influence across the globe. The President of course denies this, in his defense what President would agree to those claims.

The issue is that since perhaps the first Gulf War there has not been a war that this country has truly been able to claim as clean victory. War should not be seen as victory or defeat. Today we live in a world where the constant ramifications are analyzed daily. Conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan will be picked apart for the rest of this century and beyond. Without a doubt had social media and mass news existed in ancient times the Greeks destroying Troy would have had its own hash tag.

The U.S. no longer lives in a time where war can be so easy. The even greater issue is that many, especially those in charge, have not grown accustomed to this fact. Americans have grown tired of war, it is simply to easy to see the ramifications of sending young men and women to fight. Those who oppose the U.S. military around the world know very well what it takes to bloody the nose. It happened in Somalia and the moment public opinion turns on a conflict, the question is not if it will end it is when it will.

The factors going against all this are many, a ever growing military industrial complex, leadership that often is ready for the last war not the one in their face, and a break down of our ability to adapt even when we figure out the new problem. War between all mighty states are a thing of the past, at least for the near future, fighting small groups of people driven by ideology is much different.

War is a messy business and as Sun Tzu said, “All armies prefer the high ground”. In this new world the high ground must not only be the physical, the moral high ground must be kept. For the President to say the United States is to lead in the future then it must commit to the idea of moral high ground. Without holding this first the country will be at a disadvantage. As the President says, “when issues of global concern that do not pose a direct threat to the United States are at stake — when crises arise that stir our conscience or push the world in a more dangerous direction — then the threshold for military action must be higher.”

That in and of itself opens up the an odd grey line. It says to those around the world that wish to do things for their gain and the loss of others, if you play it smart and don’t the line, the slumbering giant will stay asleep. Go to far and the reaction will come. To reflect on this idea of a moral high ground is a quote from President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”