Let us first take the case of sports competition. Given that the game is fair with the presence of referees and given that both sides have earnest players, then we can say that the better side wins. Now “better side” signifies not only athletic ability, but also the team with the better intellectually designed and executed plays, team spirit, confidence and hope. That is the better most favored side wins because of a multiplicity of factors – some of them frankly psychological.
We can say the same thing about war. The better side wins for a multiplicity of reasons many of which are resource centered: material, intellectual, physical, and psychological. Thus we see that a prevailing power has many aspects some of which are tangible, some of which are intangible. There can be little question that part of the outcome of World War II was determined by spiritual strength – the triumphant side saw itself as fighting not only for survival, but for the salvation of the best traditions and accomplishments of civilization. That is, it saw itself fighting for principles and values that transcended ambition for land or territory – its reasons for fighting were open-ended calling forth the ultimate and most courageous of sacrifices. It found itself upon a stage of reckoning determining the fate of cultural enlightenment; they were challenged to embrace this the most desperate and finest of hours. Was God on the side of the Allies? Is there a manifest destiny for liberty and human rights? Before one engages in a fight with those who think there is, they had best know what they’re in for.
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