01/13/2026
Overheard conversation:
Country A: “Look, this isn’t personal. This is just how the world works. When people have power, they use it. We didn’t invent that rule. We just stepped into it. And honestly, if you had the same power we do, you’d be doing exactly what we’re doing now.”
Country B: “We get that we’re outmatched. We’re not clueless. But we still think justice counts for something. We’re doing the right thing, and we’re hoping that matters."
Over 2400 years ago, the Athenian empire tried to persuade the people of the small Greek island of Melos to surrender instead of being killed and enslaved. The Melians said no, and it didn't end well for them.
This "Melian Dialogue" is still being argued today as Political Realism. For Pub Theology on Tuesday, January 13, we will examine the age-old question, Does might make right? Join us at 7:30 on the balcony at The Livery, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
PS: Athens ultimately lost the Peloponnesian War, despite the defeat of Melos. After decades of fighting and internal strain, it was defeated, occupied, and stripped of its empire. So there's that.
