The willingness to assert regularly such a doctrine would require a combination of moral clarity, grit and the ultimate ability to project military power that few nations within the European Union, our indispensable ally, appear likely to possess for the foreseeable future.
It was also a hard education in Chinese life, with its jumble of poverty, grit, moral debasement, opportunism, inventiveness and gullibility, as well as its moments of astonishing kindness and generosity.
In 1983, the author, a dissident writer and artist, embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage from Beijing to Tibet, but his journey detoured into a three-year immersion in Chinese life, with its jumble of poverty, grit, moral debasement, opportunism and generosity.
While Hillary Clinton rejoices in what's good about our country -- its military strength, Yankee ingenuity, diversity, grit and moral high ground -- Trump spits at Uncle Sam and wipes his feet on Old Glory.
So a nod from all the main parties towards the importance of grit, resilience, mental and moral attributes – whatever we want to call this vast and complex area – is welcome, even if awards alone won't work.
In some ways it's superior to Le Carre, because it affirms principle, character, grit and goodness, without the murky moral equivocations of George Smiley's world.
The moral message of "The Biggest Loser" reality show is that through sweat and honest grit, you can achieve your goals.
The majority of good, moral people – trans or otherwise – would prefer not to sleep with someone who is privately gritting their teeth instead of wanting it to happen.
