Right or Wrong: Sony or Obama?

President Obama has said Sony Pictures was wrong to cancel the release of the movie "The Interview," and many conservatives have also been critical of what some see as the company's self-censorship or capitulation to a communist bully.

But in my view, Sony was absolutely right in what it did.

North Korea's action constituted nothing less than an attack by a sovereign nation attempting to sabotage Sony Pictures and its parent Sony Corp., a multinational company with a substantial presence in the United States.

Some people have been angry that Sony decided to cancel the Dec. 25 release of the movie. Obama called the decision a "mistake," and said, "We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States."

But Sony argues it was forced to cancel the theatrical opening after the country's top five theater chains refused to run it.

"You can't release a movie unless you have a distribution channel," the company's lawyer David Boies said, adding that "this is not a Sony security problem, this is a national security problem."

It is indeed.

Let’s not forget that after hacking Sony's computer network and exposing a host of the firm's internal documents, a group of hackers with ties to the North Korean government threatened theater chains with a 9/11-style attack if they exhibited the satirical comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Obama has denied that Sony contacted him about the film. He even said "I wish they'd spoken to me first."

However, Sony Pictures Chairman Michael Lynton indicated in an interview with CNN that the company did consult with the White House, and the Hollywood Reporter disclosed that the studio had contacted senior White House officials.

In any case it is clear that the administration did not give much guidance in how to handle the film and the threats against Sony.

So here is the crucial point: It is not the job of one person, or one company, to stand up to threats from a foreign nation. It is the job of our government to defend its citizens and their corporations, who all pay handsomely in taxes to enable that defense.

It seems like the White House — not Sony — has created an environment in which North Korea believes it can attack a major U.S. corporation with impunity.

If George W. Bush were still in office, I feel Kim Jong-un would have had second thoughts about launching such an attack.

As I have said before, it is not a matter of whether Obama is strong or weak — what counts is the world perceives him to be weak. His dealings with Russia, China, Syria, and now Cuba all paint a picture of weakness.

People may accuse Sony of self-censorship, but the company made a sensible decision about "The Interview."

Again, it is not the lone responsibility of Sony or any other company to stand up to a terrorist state or to confront America's mortal enemies.

The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution acknowledges that it is the duty of government to "provide for the common defense," and it is Obama's job to defend Americans from foreign aggression.

In that regard, he has proven to be woefully inadequate.