“As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back. For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

— Rudyard Kipling, “The Jungle Book,” 1894

We live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”

Thus spoke Stephen Miller during a recent interview with Jake Tapper of CNN. They were discussing the United States takeover of Venezuela and its oil reserves — the largest in the world! and the projected acquisition of Greenland, along with Greenland’s resources. Others, of a like mind with Miller, are comparing the U.S. to a lion, an apex predator, living by the Law of the Jungle, with never a care in the world for international law.

Some maintain that when Kipling coined the “Law of the Jungle” phrase, he wasn’t talking about the simple “might makes right” philosophy that Miller so glibly espouses for our country, but I say he probably was. Kipling was a full-throated, unapologetic British imperialist, racist and misogynist, after all, lovable as Mowgli and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi may be.

I myself love Mowgli and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, but the fact remains.

Life is hard. Earth, the only planet, as far as we know, that supports life, is therefore the only planet that relies on death. Death is life’s flip side. “Nature, red in tooth and claw,” as Alfred Tennyson put it.

Earth’s longest living creatures reside far down in the briny deep. Marine biologists tell us that glass sponges can live more than 10,000 years. Black corals may live for thousands of years. Ocean quahogs, Greenland sharks and bowhead whales, as well as some tortoises, may live for more than a century. Tiny tardigrades, in their cryptobiotic tun state, may put life on pause for up to 30 years with no food or water and then “come alive” again when drenched. Tardigrade tuns have also survived radiation, extreme temperatures and even space travel.

Still, every living thing eventually dies.

Since I’m not a full-throated, unapologetic American imperialist — in fact, I hope I can accurately call myself woke — I like to see people working, in large ways or small, to make life easier for others. We don’t have to be the thuggish bullies of the world. Or their toadies.

Usually, sleep comes easily to me. Recent political and world events have been disturbing my sleep, though, events like the aforementioned United States’ takeover of Venezuela and projected acquisition of Greenland, but even more, the killing of Renee Good by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Minnesota. I’ll wake up out of some anxiety-infused nightmare at 3 a.m. and then not be able to get back to sleep.

Jupiter, my elderly cat, likes it when this happens, regarding it as yet another opportunity to be fed. “If you can get up at 3 a.m. and feed me,” he reasons, “why not do so every day?” Jupiter has always been happiest when literally red in tooth and claw himself, preferring to consider himself an alpha apex predator (while at the same time wisely taking precautions, living, as he does, in the Adirondacks, where larger predators abound).

When I’m alone, I often imagine conversations I might have under the right circumstances. I could be reworking an actual conversation or starting a new one. The conversation could be with friends or family, people I’ve known my whole life, or complete strangers. The one constant in all of these imaginary conversations is that I have to get the last word. Say, for example, I’m talking with one of these Law of the Jungle proponents (LJP).

LJP: Laws don’t apply to us. We take what we want. Diamonds, oil, cool weapons, whatever.

Me: What gives you that right?

LJP: Strength, power and force. That’s the Law of the Jungle, the way of the Universe. Could you build a Universe that would work better?

Me: A new Universe? No, I’m not good at math. What about compassion?

LJP: Compassion is basically mammalian. Whoever, or whatever, created the Universe was not a mammal.

Me: @#%&* Never mind. This conversation is not finished yet.

Have a good week.

(Martha Allen, of Keene Valley, has been writing for the News since 1996.)