INTRODUCTION TO NATIONAL SECURITY
M7D1: Civil-Military Relations and American Security Policy
Classmates Responses
General Information and Instructions:
Please respond to the following classmates post below as well as responses to the initial posting which will be included after classmates’ post. Ensure you start with their name in the first sentence, so I am aware whom you are responding too.
All responses to classmates should be substantive. That is, they should go beyond simple agreement or disagreement with classmates’ posts. Also, be sure that your responses are respectful, substantive, and consistent with the expectations for discussion. Please be sure to have it in APA format providing at least one reference along with each classmate post you have chosen if applicable.
Classmate #1:
CHRISTOPHER A
Dear Class,
Clausewitz identifies the triad as the people, military and government. Where, to conduct sustainable war, each side of the trinity must mutually support each other. The United Sates government has a few unique qualities which enable it to support the Clausewitz trinity. The paramount quality of the US is the economic power. The citizens or noncombatants are the financiers and pay for a subordinate force (military and or government) to apply leverage US power to influence others. Additionally, the professional military is the subordinate for the government and government is subordinate to the popular vote. These two qualities ensure a balance and help to avoid unnecessary military campaigns.
Contrary to this, a powerful wedge can be placed between people and the government and erode popular support. As we know it only take two percent of a population to sway the national opinion and in the day in age where social media platforms are extensive, insertion of subversion and false information can dismantle the link between government and the people creating negative popular opinion. The fast and vast reach allows disinformation to spread at a rate and mass opinions can be changed overnight.
The media (both news and social), being such a powerful mechanism for rapidly generate popular opinion, the only way to mitigate negative non-factual popular opinion is making media groups public companies. Additionally, the exit of media from military matters with the exception of observation from distance. Mitigation of negative influence is the fasts means for an adversary to disenfranchise the populace and with the US military being the most expensive, the US military would not last long without popular support.
Works Cited
Mattox, J. (2008). The Clausewitzian Trinity in the Information Age: A Just War Approach. Journal of Military Ethics, Figure 5.
Sarkesian, S. C., Williams, J. A., & Cimbala, S. J. (2013). US National Security (5th ed.). Boulder, Co, US: Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc.
Classmate #2:
JASON A
Government, military, and people is what Clausewitz classified as the “holy trinity”. He further went on to say that the working relationship between each or those groups is dependent on battlefield success. I would classify Americas greatest virtues in the conduct of statecraft to be the courage. The courage of the people, the military, and the government to vigorously pursue liberty. Politicians need to have the courage to vote against bad policies, break from the political party if needed to ensure sound policy is being produced for the people. Courage of the military to put themselves in harms way when called upon. Courage of the people to challenge policies that are best suited for special interest groups and lobbyists as compared the will of the people.
I would consider ignorance to be the most detrimental to sound statecraft. Ignorance of the policy makers in government to ignore right, wrong, and sound decision making as opposed to catering to a political agenda or special interest groups. Ignorance in military leaders to not challenge policies when they are contrary to good order and discipline or create weaknesses in the force to accommodate social or political motives. Finally, ignorance on behalf of the public, by not being knowledgeable of global events, not holding their elected officials accountable at the ballot box when politicians continually push bad policies.
The recommendations that I would prescribe would be to open transparency withing the government to a degree that is appropriate but also doesn’t compromise classified initiatives, one of the biggest issues most people have is that there is so much corruption that is flowing through the government. I witness so many policies and decisions that are made and I often wonder how is it that the government is so disconnected from the populace. So many of these “elected” officials end up in seemingly lifetime positions and manage to amass obscene wealth throughout their tenure in politics. I think many like myself only see this as possible if you are self-serving and not if you uphold the best interests of the country and the populace in which you were elected to serve.
Excelsior College. (n.d.) Module 7: Module Notes: Engage the American People and Civil-Military Relations. [BNS101 course content]. https://excelsior.instructure.com/courses/27298/pages/module-7-module-notes-engage-the-american-people-and-civil-military-relations?module_item_id=2442096
Sarkesian, S. C., Williams, J. A., & Cimbala, S. J. (2013). Us National Security: Policymakers, processes, and politics. Lynne Rienner Publishers. Chapter 12 &13, Empowering the people, Civil-Military relations.
POSTS AND/OR QUESTIONS TO INITIAL POST:
If applicable…. Please find a way to respond to each even if it is just to add on to the conversation or to apply how theories and concepts from the text, additional readings, or your own research to support that point of view.