This poem concisely and incisively portrays the reality that universal values humanity has long cherished—happiness, ethics, and rights—can be easily ignored under the logic of power in international politics. By invoking the philosophical ideals of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, the poem reveals the paradox that these very values are ultimately subject to the worldview of the victorious. In doing so, it suggests that what is called “sound reasoning” is never entirely absolute. Within its brevity, the poem carries both a warning for democracy and a profound question about human dignity.
Not a Matter of Sound Reason
Truth indeed—
the democracy that seeks the realization of happiness.
Goodness indeed—
the legal institutions of an ethical society.
Beauty indeed—
the rights that human beings are meant to enjoy.
These three values
are steadily ignored.
What is called sound reasoning
is entrusted to the values of the victors.
Written on May 16, 2026. The bell announcing the rule of two great powers rings out loudly.