Emmanuel Macron decries ‘law of the jungle’ in call for global

Emmanuel Macron picked his final trip to the U.N. General Assembly to lecture the world about the "law of the jungle," and it was hard not to notice the timing. He spoke moments after President Trump left the room. That feels about right. France’s president has spent years positioning himself as the adult in the global room, but his grand vision of international law always seems to apply to everyone else. It’s a convenient philosophy for a nation that doesn't have to pay for its own defense.

What exactly is Macron proposing? He wants nations to commit to protecting civilians and abiding by rules. Noble words, but they ring hollow when you look at the actual state of the world. The real "law of the jungle" Macron refuses to acknowledge is the one where countries like Russia and China do whatever they want, and the only thing that gets them to behave is a credible show of force. The UN’s rules are only as strong as the willingness to enforce them. When the enforcer gets tired, or worse, gets lectured by the French, the jungle just gets a new top predator.

We’re not against diplomacy. We’re against the fantasy that good intentions are a replacement for strength. The President’s message this week was about national interest and hard truths, and while it may not have pleased the diplomats in their fine suits, it’s a far more honest description of how the world actually operates. Trump is talking straight to the American people, not to a globalist audience that applauds speeches and then ignores them. The choice isn't between a rules-based order and chaos; it's between a peace built on strength and a peace built on paper. As Americans head to the polls, that distinction is the only one that matters.