May 17, 2017
The President, the Pentagon, and the People
Carl von Clausewitz wrote, “Its dominant tendencies always make war a paradoxical trinity, composed of primordial violence, hatred, and enmity. . . .The first of these three aspects mainly concerns the people; the second the commander and his army; the third the government.” Clausewitz further wrote that to be effective, a nation must "maintain a balance between these three tendencies like an object suspended between three magnets." Examining the preparedness of the United States government, military, and people in ascending order of strength and importance is instructive.
Read the full article at Real Clear Defense.
More from CNAS
-
Uncrewed but Confident: Forging New Rules of the Road to Avoid Accidental Escalation
Air and maritime uncrewed platforms in the Indo-Pacific may be a promising area for developing new confidence-building measures....
By Tom Shugart
-
Stacie Pettyjohn on drones in Ukraine
The Merge podcast hosts Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn to discuss her new report: Evolution Not Revolution, Drone Warfare in Russia’s 2022 Invasion of Ukraine Stacie is a Senior Fel...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
-
How China’s $100B+ Shipbuilding Empire Dominates the U.S.’s
China has transformed into a shipbuilding powerhouse over the past two decades, cementing its status as a major maritime power. In 2023, more than half of the world’s commerci...
By Tom Shugart
-
Ukrainian president has stark new warning as war rages on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that Ukraine will lose the war with Russia without US assistance. Franz-Stefan Gady of CNAS explains why US military aid is crucia...
By Franz-Stefan Gady