Under the leadership of President Bush and Vice President Cheney

When Marty Meehan declared, “Under the leadership of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the United States has given up the moral high ground that we used to occupy as an international leader,” he spoke as one grieved by the fall of a great ideal. His words are not merely political; they are moral, prophetic, and profoundly human. He reminds us that true leadership—whether of nations or individuals—rests not upon power, but upon principle. To lose the moral high ground is to lose the very compass that guides civilization through the storms of history. Meehan’s lament is, therefore, the lament of one who loves his country enough to hold it accountable to its higher self.

The origin of this quote arises from the early years of the twenty-first century, when the War on Terror and the invasion of Iraq reshaped America’s global image. The world, once looking to the United States as a beacon of liberty and justice, began to see instead a nation ensnared by ambition, secrecy, and moral compromise. From the scandals of Abu Ghraib to the justification of preemptive war, the moral clarity that had guided America in its greatest moments seemed clouded by the shadow of fear and pride. It was in this age that Meehan spoke, urging his nation to remember that power without morality is a tyranny of its own kind.

This truth is ancient. In every civilization that has risen to greatness, the moral high ground—the elevation of justice over self-interest, compassion over cruelty, truth over expediency—has been its foundation. Rome was strongest not in the splendor of its legions, but in the justice of its laws; yet when it traded virtue for conquest, it fell. So too did Athens, which once stood as the cradle of democracy, perish when it placed ambition above integrity. Meehan’s warning is the echo of this eternal lesson: that no power, however mighty, can stand long when it forsakes the moral order that sustains it.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, who led his nation through civil war but never surrendered the high ground of moral purpose. Even as the blood of countless battles darkened the fields of America, Lincoln refused to yield to vengeance. He knew that victory without virtue would hollow out the soul of the nation. “With malice toward none, with charity for all,” he said, speaking not only of peace but of the moral renewal that must accompany power. Meehan’s quote carries that same spirit — that leadership demands more than might; it demands moral clarity, the courage to do what is right even when it costs dearly.

When a nation abandons its moral high ground, it loses not only the respect of the world but also the faith of its own people. For morality is the invisible architecture of trust. It is what allows citizens to believe in their leaders and other nations to believe in their friendship. Without it, alliances crumble, and even victories turn to ashes. Meehan’s warning is thus both patriotic and universal: the greatness of a country lies not in the fear it inspires, but in the hope it sustains. A nation that leads through fear commands obedience; a nation that leads through morality commands admiration and loyalty.

There is also a personal echo within Meehan’s statement — a mirror held to every soul who seeks leadership in any form. Whether one governs nations or simply one’s own household, the same truth holds: to lead well is to lead justly. To compromise one’s integrity for gain is to lose the very thing that gives leadership its power. Each of us, in our sphere, must guard the moral ground beneath our feet — to speak truth even when it is costly, to act with fairness even when it is difficult, to remember that all authority is a trust, not a possession.

Thus, the lesson handed down through Meehan’s words is clear: power without morality is ruin disguised as strength. To reclaim the moral high ground, one must place conscience above ambition, truth above convenience, and justice above victory. Let nations and individuals alike remember this — that the world follows not the one who conquers, but the one who uplifts. The greatest leaders in history have not been those who built empires, but those who built trust, hope, and virtue. For in the end, it is not might that endures, but moral greatness — the light that guides humanity long after the armies have faded and the flags have fallen.