A healthy and fully functioning society must allocate its

The words of Herman Kahn, “A healthy and fully functioning society must allocate its resources among a variety of competing interests, all of which are more or less valid but none of which should take precedence over national security,” thunder like the voice of a strategist gazing over the fate of nations. Kahn, a futurist and military strategist in the nuclear age, spoke not from idle speculation but from the shadow of annihilation. In the twentieth century, when mushroom clouds loomed as the ultimate consequence of neglect, he declared that while society must balance the needs of culture, economy, education, and welfare, it must never forget that without security, all else crumbles to dust.

The origin of this saying is rooted in the Cold War, an era when the great powers stood in uneasy tension, armed with weapons capable of ending civilization itself. Kahn, often controversial, warned that survival was the foundation of all virtue. A society may treasure the arts, uplift the poor, build schools and temples—but if it fails to preserve its national security, it risks losing the very ground upon which these blessings stand. His words, though stark, remind us of the most primal truth: before a nation can flourish, it must endure.

History proves this truth again and again. Consider the fall of Athens during the Peloponnesian War. Athens, rich in philosophy, art, and democracy, was undone not because its citizens lacked ideas, but because it failed to balance its internal interests with the harsh necessity of defense. Divided within, unprepared without, it succumbed to Sparta’s might. The treasures of its culture were plundered, its people enslaved. What use were theaters and schools when the city itself lay in ruin? Kahn’s words echo across time: a society that neglects its shield invites its own destruction.

Yet his teaching is not a call to abandon other values. He speaks of “a variety of competing interests,” acknowledging that in any free society there will be many voices—commerce, charity, education, art, industry. Each is “more or less valid,” each deserving of resources. A society without them would be barren and lifeless. But they must be arranged in order, as soldiers in formation: none can march ahead of security, for if the defense of the whole is lost, the harmony of the parts cannot endure.

We also see the wisdom of this balance in the story of Britain during World War II. Faced with the Nazi threat, the nation redirected vast resources toward survival. Rationing became a way of life, industries shifted to arms production, and the people endured sacrifice. Yet because they prioritized security, they endured, and when peace returned, the other interests—education, welfare, culture—flourished again. Winston Churchill himself knew that the painters, poets, and teachers would have no place if the homeland fell. Security was the guardian of every other gift.

But the meaning of Kahn’s warning also cuts into the heart of our present age. Many societies today risk forgetting this balance, quarreling endlessly over internal disputes while neglecting the external dangers that threaten their survival—whether from war, terrorism, or even climate change. A nation too absorbed in its own rivalries may wake to find that its very foundation is under siege. To heed Kahn is to remember that endurance comes before embellishment, survival before splendor.

The lesson for us is clear: in our lives, as in our nations, we must discern what is fundamental. Debate, create, and strive for progress in many fields, but never neglect the shield that guards them all. For individuals, this means cultivating resilience and preparedness; for communities, this means ensuring safety, stability, and unity before all else. Without such vigilance, even the noblest projects will wither like flowers in a storm.

Practical actions flow from this wisdom. Support institutions that ensure the defense and stability of your society. Accept that sacrifice in times of danger is not loss, but the preservation of all future gains. In daily life, seek to balance competing priorities, but always ask: what is essential for survival? For a person, it may be health; for a family, it may be unity; for a nation, it is security. Honor this hierarchy, and you safeguard the path for every other pursuit.

Thus let Herman Kahn’s words be remembered not as cold calculation, but as the stern truth of history: a healthy society is one that balances many needs, but secures first the foundation upon which they stand. Guard the gates, and the gardens within may bloom. Neglect them, and all will be swept away. This is the teaching of ages: survival first, then greatness. Without the one, the other cannot be.