In the classic Western movie “High Noon,” a lone lawman took on four bloodthirsty outlaws. His people had already scurried back to their homes. His new bride urged him to leave for a better place with her. He stayed put, however, bracing for death rather than cowardice. Honor had him fight the gang head-on, but love had his woman come to his rescue in an unladylike manner. When the gun smoke cleared, love won. 

The moral of the story? You need to hold your ground. You need to fight dirty in order to get a clean shot at the oncoming evil. You are in a High Noon moment. 

A High Noon moment will be a defining moment for America, if and when the world’s sole superpower suddenly finds himself standing alone, with a world order to keep and a national honor to defend. 

As a matter of fact, America is in effective control of the global sea routes, thanks to its uniquely powerful navy. Like it or not, America has to be the world’s lone lawman in the worst-case scenario. 

The worst-case scenario? Watch “High Noon” if you haven’t yet.

—— Lingyang Jiang