Why America Needs Leaders Who Can (Literally) Fight
Throughout human history, the greatest leaders were not just thinkers or politicians—they were fighters. From Alexander the Great to George Washington, leadership was forged in the crucible of battle, where the stakes were life and death, not just “career advancement.” These men were well-educated, yes, but they also knew what it meant to put their bodies on the line for a cause. That’s why they understood the real cost of cowardice and the necessity of a iron will. As William Francis Butler famously noted, “The nation that will insist on drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.”
Fast forward to today, and we’re stuck with a ruling class of bureaucratic dweebs—elite, highly educated, but physically and spiritually unequipped for anything resembling a real fight. They don’t lead with strength; they hide behind “principles” and PR campaigns, which is why our politics feel so spineless, our leaders so uninspiring, and it is why the disconnect between them and the people they serve grows wider by the day. You cannot be good if you are not strong. In whatever domain in question, strength is competence, and without it, you cannot achieve excellence. In other words, strength itself is central to moral virtue, and that’s what the dweebs fundamentally lack: moral virtue.
The Problem With Dweeb Rule
What happens when dweebs rule? You get leaders who are vindictive but too cowardly to confront their opponents directly. Instead, they seek revenge through backdoor policies, passive-aggressive memos, and the weaponization of bureaucracy.
These kinds of leaders are sneaky by nature, as seen in the betrayals of limp-wristed woke wonder boys like Obama and Trudeau. They present themselves as sunny and sweet, peddling platitudes of “equality” and “justice” with saccharine charm, but beneath the surface lies something far more insidious. These men aren’t fueled by courage; they’re fueled by resentment. And that resentment shapes everything they do.
That’s because leftism, at its core, breeds resentment and resentment inevitably breeds the desire to control and punish. As PJ O’Rourke famously said, “At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic, and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
In other words, dweebs are destroyers. Consider Karl Marx, the father of socialism, whose own father was disgusted by his entitlement and laziness. Young Marx’s bitterness toward the world birthed an ideology tailor-made for dweebs, built on envy and control—one that has wreaked havoc for generations. From starving families in Soviet Russia to embittered French atheists unleashing rape and killing sprees during their so-called “revolution,” the common thread is clear: these movements were led by men who believed the world owed them something but, deep down, knew they weren’t worthy of the power they wanted.
History’s lesson is clear: When resentful dweebs are given power, they use it to impose their insecurities on everyone else.
Conservative Leaders Are Weak, Too
Conservative leaders often pride themselves on knowing better. They don’t subscribe to leftist ideologies, and they profess to uphold principles of freedom, tradition, and personal responsibility. But all too often, they fail to wield the power they have. Instead of standing firm, they allow the proverbial “spoiled child” to rule.
Why? Fear. Fear of being scolded by the media. Fear of a temporary loss of approval. Fear of being labeled “mean” by the very institutions that despise them. In their desperation to appear magnanimous or above the fray, conservative leaders often cede ground to those who will never play fair. They mistake decorum for strength and compromise for strategy, and in doing so, they betray the very people who trust them to fight.
This timidity has allowed cultural rot to seep into every corner of society. Instead of acting decisively to safeguard families, communities, and institutions, conservative men have often stood by, issuing polite statements while their opponents weaponize every tool at their disposal. They watch from the sidelines as activists infiltrate schools, rewrite history, and turn public spaces into centers of leftist dominance.
Weak leaders make the possible impossible. Their entire worldview is oriented toward failure. Weak, cowardly, and impotent men perpetuate this cycle, making failure inevitable. This mindset is at the heart of America’s current demoralization. For decades, we’ve been conditioned to believe that our problems are unsolvable and that decline is our destiny.
But then come men like Trump and Musk, who defy the odds with sheer determination and action. Their success proves a critical truth: we are not doomed. The so-called “black pill” is nothing more than distilled weakness masquerading as hard truths.
It turns out that our problems are entirely solvable—but only by the right kind of leader: a fighter. Fighters bring the strength, courage, and resilience needed to overcome challenges and inspire others to do the same.
A Society of Weakness
More simply put, a society led by dweebs inevitably becomes a society of weakness. When the men at the top avoid fights at all costs, the people below them lose faith in the system. Leadership by dweebs creates resentment, division, and decay.
Historically, dweebs had no say in matters of importance unless they weaseled their way in. Most societies recognized the need to cultivate leaders who combined both physical and intellectual strength. Ancient Greek education emphasized both the mind and the body, believing that a leader must be as capable in the gymnasium as in the forum. Christianity confirmed this dual approach, rejecting gnosticism and inspiring movements like Muscular Christianity, which urged men to embody discipline, strength, and moral clarity.
The twisted modern version of Christianity that insists on its men being “meek and mild” means being weak and useless has done untold damage to our political and cultural fabric. That’s not the meekness Christ modeled.
When He condescended to Earth, it was from a position of unimaginable power and greatness. His humility wasn’t weakness; it was strength under control. Why did He stoop so low? One reason was to teach us how to fight against evil and win. His message was very clear–You cannot worship God, fight an adversary, or love others without courageously stepping into the fray.
Leaders of the past understood this. Almost all the greatest world leaders were also military leaders, their character and strategies tested in the brutal realities of war. This includes Christian leaders like Constantine, Theodosius, Charlemagne and Alfred the Great.
These leaders learned firsthand the importance of courage. This type of leadership created systems and nations that thrived because their rulers weren’t detached theorists or opportunists looking for a cushy job—they were men who knew how vitally important it is to wage war–and win–against evil.
But where are those leaders today? Where is the American tradition of masculine leadership that built this country?
Enter Donald Trump
As Theodore Roosevelt famously said,
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The resurgence of combat sports, particularly mixed martial arts, offers a glimpse of hope. MMA has become a cultural juggernaut that appeals to a deeply American ethos: the will to fight, to overcome, and to emerge victorious. UFC champion Jon Jones giving Donald Trump his belt after his victory at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden isn’t just a viral moment—it’s a cultural touchstone. It signals a desire for leaders who not only understand fighting but embody its principles in their actions.
Donald Trump himself exemplifies this ethos. Love him or hate him, his approach to politics is undeniably combative and marked by stunning moments of courage. Whether it was defiantly telling Americans to fight after a bullet grazed his ear or smiling as Sylvester Stallone—the embodiment of America’s favorite fighter, Rocky Balboa—boldly broke from Hollywood ranks to compare him to George Washington, Trump symbolizes the fighting spirit people long for in their leader.
Trump’s incredible comeback in American politics isn’t just about policy; it’s about the unyielding will to win. Men like Trump and Musk prove that seemingly impossible problems aren’t impossible. Dweebs are the ones who demoralize. We can solve our problems, but only if we’re bold and courageous. And those traits aren’t fostered in academia but in combat.
If conservatives want to reclaim the spirit of strength and resilience, they must go beyond rhetoric. It’s time to make martial training a regular part of men’s lives, especially those who aspire to leadership. Imagine a network similar to a country club, but instead of golf and cocktails, the shared activities are sparring sessions and strength training. Better yet, this vision could start even earlier by integrating fight training into Christian classical schools and micro-school high schools.
Combat sports teach discipline, strategic thinking, and the ability to remain calm under pressure—qualities essential for any leader. Beyond that, they create camaraderie and trust among participants, forging bonds that could translate into a powerful political network.
If, in twenty-five years, the Supreme Court is dominated by men and women who graduated from Harvard in 2015 and similar institutions, steeped in corrosive ideologies and divorced from reality, our future is bleak. But if it’s filled with individuals shaped by the discipline, humility, and resilience—we could be on the brink of a new golden age for America.
Martial arts training is more than physical—it’s a crucible for character. These men wouldn’t just hold office—they would inspire movements, endure challenges, and bring a grounded sense of purpose to the decisions shaping America’s future.
Conservatives often lament the lack of unity and grit among their ranks. A nationwide system of “fight clubs” could change that, too. Training centers could double as think tanks, fostering not just physical strength but also intellectual and strategic growth. Men who train together, fight together, and grow together are far more likely to stand firm against opposition and inspire others to do the same.
A Return to Strength
It’s time to reclaim the tradition of leaders who understand what it means to fight—literally and figuratively. America is a nation built on courage and the willingness to take risks. It deserves leaders who embody those qualities, not ones who hide behind a desk.
The dweebs have had their run, and the results speak for themselves: weakness, division, and decline. It’s time to reclaim a more effective and authentic form of leadership—by fostering fighters who understand the stakes and possess the courage to win. A truly successful nation is led by men who conquer, not by those who merely inherit their positions or cling to titles. Greatness is only achieved when true fighters reign.
Image Credit: Unsplash
