Six Elements of Power: Cultural
I saved this one for last, because if you look at all the elements, this one element is influenced by and influences the others the most.
A Nation-State's Cultural Element of Power determines (to varying degrees) the nature of the Military Element. For instance it will be a major determinant in whether a Nation-State builds a military and support system that is technologically advanced and comparatively small (Qualitative Emphasis) or manpower intensive with simpler weaponry (Quantitative Emphasis).
China today could be said to be transforming from the latter to the former, and as part of that effort is trying to become a leading producer in modern technology. Whether their Cultural and Organizational Elements’ dependency on ‘One-Party’ rule can survive the transformation of their Economic Element will be interesting to watch. In the PRC (Communist China), we are seeing a Nation-State with all the Elements of Power under pressure to, or being willfully driven to, change without upsetting the Party’s stranglehold on all facets of the population’s existence. Yeah, they think they can avoid the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Showing posts with label Six Elements of Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Six Elements of Power. Show all posts
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
The Demographic Element: An Introduction
Six Elements of Power: Demographic
Winding down here to the last two elements, and (wringing my hands) I'm saving the Cultural Element for last. Use of the phrase "Demographics is Destiny" has become somewhat of a cliché, but it is no less true because of it. The Demographics of a Nation- State have a great influence on its well-being and continued success. I could wax ad infinitum about how important Demographics are, or link to an almost inexhaustible pile of resources that do the same thing (Just see how long the list is when one Googles 'demographics is destiny' or 'demographics are destiny'), but this one example that follows should more than make it clear how important Demographics are to National Power.
A Case Study in Demographics as Weakness: Saudi Arabia
With 26 million people living in Saudi Arabia, 1 in 5 are foreign ‘guest workers’. Services essential to maintaining the current civil structure of the Kingdom are performed by these foreign workers: most working under deplorable conditions that persist only because of people fleeing desperate situations elsewhere are duped and then trapped. If the pipeline of ‘guest workers’ performing the dirty work should dry up from the word getting out in the right places, or the higher-paid technical talent get tired of dealing with the Kingdom and its ways, the Saudi economy would be crippled. Saudi Arabia’s already thin social fabric would likely disintegrate (with the most virulent wahabists on top no doubt) as 99.9 % of the remaining native population asserted their dissatisfaction with the top 1/10th of 1 percent that makes up the House of Saud ...and especially the 1/10th of 1 percent of the House of Saud that wield any real power.
Saudi Arabia is an excellent example of multiple forms of Demographic weakness: overdependence on foreign labor for even the most mundane tasks, insufficient number of native workers with technical skills, and poor distribution of talent and skills in the general population. And we won’t even delve into the existence of insufficient (by design) educational, social , and business systems that forever prevent the full development of a full half of their potential talent pool (women) But perhaps the House of Saud doesn’t worry about these things at all….as long as the oil and money keeps flowing.
Of course, we shouldn’t think this kind of thing is unique to Saudi Arabia. What about the willingness of many in the United States to turn a blind eye to the problem of the uncontrolled influx of illegal aliens? (Yes, if someone is here illegally they are still an alien - they did NOT ‘immigrate’, and I refuse to surrender this point to the PC language police) What is the true cost/benefit of ‘illegals’ to not only the economy but to the American society? As a Nation, I believe we are only beginning to understand the nature and scope of the problem.
And then there is Western Europe. Among other things, like the murder of Theo Van Gogh and last year’s rash of violence that spread across France, I would also wonder if they perhaps are reconsidering their historically laissez-faire approach to immigration and assimilation?
Winding down here to the last two elements, and (wringing my hands) I'm saving the Cultural Element for last. Use of the phrase "Demographics is Destiny" has become somewhat of a cliché, but it is no less true because of it. The Demographics of a Nation- State have a great influence on its well-being and continued success. I could wax ad infinitum about how important Demographics are, or link to an almost inexhaustible pile of resources that do the same thing (Just see how long the list is when one Googles 'demographics is destiny' or 'demographics are destiny'), but this one example that follows should more than make it clear how important Demographics are to National Power.
A Case Study in Demographics as Weakness: Saudi Arabia
With 26 million people living in Saudi Arabia, 1 in 5 are foreign ‘guest workers’. Services essential to maintaining the current civil structure of the Kingdom are performed by these foreign workers: most working under deplorable conditions that persist only because of people fleeing desperate situations elsewhere are duped and then trapped. If the pipeline of ‘guest workers’ performing the dirty work should dry up from the word getting out in the right places, or the higher-paid technical talent get tired of dealing with the Kingdom and its ways, the Saudi economy would be crippled. Saudi Arabia’s already thin social fabric would likely disintegrate (with the most virulent wahabists on top no doubt) as 99.9 % of the remaining native population asserted their dissatisfaction with the top 1/10th of 1 percent that makes up the House of Saud ...and especially the 1/10th of 1 percent of the House of Saud that wield any real power.
Saudi Arabia is an excellent example of multiple forms of Demographic weakness: overdependence on foreign labor for even the most mundane tasks, insufficient number of native workers with technical skills, and poor distribution of talent and skills in the general population. And we won’t even delve into the existence of insufficient (by design) educational, social , and business systems that forever prevent the full development of a full half of their potential talent pool (women) But perhaps the House of Saud doesn’t worry about these things at all….as long as the oil and money keeps flowing.
Of course, we shouldn’t think this kind of thing is unique to Saudi Arabia. What about the willingness of many in the United States to turn a blind eye to the problem of the uncontrolled influx of illegal aliens? (Yes, if someone is here illegally they are still an alien - they did NOT ‘immigrate’, and I refuse to surrender this point to the PC language police) What is the true cost/benefit of ‘illegals’ to not only the economy but to the American society? As a Nation, I believe we are only beginning to understand the nature and scope of the problem.
And then there is Western Europe. Among other things, like the murder of Theo Van Gogh and last year’s rash of violence that spread across France, I would also wonder if they perhaps are reconsidering their historically laissez-faire approach to immigration and assimilation?
Thursday, February 09, 2006
The Economic Element: An Introduction
Six Elements of Power: Economic
It is quite easy to think of the Economic Element of National Power as the fuel that keeps the other elements going. While that is true as far as the statement goes, that would be only part of the story. The Economic Element is the power (or weakness) of a Nation State in maintaining or expanding it's output in goods and services -- and how that output affects or is affected by other actors in the global economy. It is also the power (or again, weakness) of a Nation State in managing its dependencies on external events and actors.
There's a lot of situational truths to what is good or bad in appraising an entity's Economic Element, and they will reveal themselves in future posts on relevant world events. As a teaser, I would ask the reader to ponder: Is having a negative trade balance with another country a good thing or a bad thing?
The short answer is: "it depends".....which is only marginally less infuriating than the most famous of Economics weasel words: "All other things being equal"...
It is quite easy to think of the Economic Element of National Power as the fuel that keeps the other elements going. While that is true as far as the statement goes, that would be only part of the story. The Economic Element is the power (or weakness) of a Nation State in maintaining or expanding it's output in goods and services -- and how that output affects or is affected by other actors in the global economy. It is also the power (or again, weakness) of a Nation State in managing its dependencies on external events and actors.
There's a lot of situational truths to what is good or bad in appraising an entity's Economic Element, and they will reveal themselves in future posts on relevant world events. As a teaser, I would ask the reader to ponder: Is having a negative trade balance with another country a good thing or a bad thing?
The short answer is: "it depends".....which is only marginally less infuriating than the most famous of Economics weasel words: "All other things being equal"...
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
The Organizational Element: An Introduction
Six Elements of Power: Organizational
The Organizational Element of National Power is the net effect of a Nation State’s organizational structure and function on its overall ability to carry out and implement its agenda on the world stage. How a Nation State is organized affects its ability to react or adapt to a changing world, and how well it will endure over the long haul.
Pearl Harbor and 9/11/01 could be two examples where a Democratic Republic experienced events that perhaps a dictatorial regime might have prevented. But they are also examples of how a Democratic Republic could endure events that would have toppled a dictatorship.
This element of power isn’t all at the upper levels either. From the three branches of Federal Government down to the states, counties, and town councils, how each part of the organization overlaps when necessary, or is clearly delineated and apart from the rest, will contribute or hinder the most efficient and effective way for a society to function in a changing world. It also includes the ways and means by which civic and service organizations interact with the official organizational entities, when civic and service groups are chartered to act in support of the organizational entities' charters.
The Organizational Element, could be said to be the framework by which other elements are most (or least, or anywhere in-between) effectively exploited by a Nation State.
The Organizational Element of National Power is the net effect of a Nation State’s organizational structure and function on its overall ability to carry out and implement its agenda on the world stage. How a Nation State is organized affects its ability to react or adapt to a changing world, and how well it will endure over the long haul.
Pearl Harbor and 9/11/01 could be two examples where a Democratic Republic experienced events that perhaps a dictatorial regime might have prevented. But they are also examples of how a Democratic Republic could endure events that would have toppled a dictatorship.
This element of power isn’t all at the upper levels either. From the three branches of Federal Government down to the states, counties, and town councils, how each part of the organization overlaps when necessary, or is clearly delineated and apart from the rest, will contribute or hinder the most efficient and effective way for a society to function in a changing world. It also includes the ways and means by which civic and service organizations interact with the official organizational entities, when civic and service groups are chartered to act in support of the organizational entities' charters.
The Organizational Element, could be said to be the framework by which other elements are most (or least, or anywhere in-between) effectively exploited by a Nation State.
Monday, February 06, 2006
The Geographical Element: An Introduction
Six Elements of Power: Geographical
Gee! There is a lot going on in the world that I’d love to weigh in on, but I promised myself I’d take care of all the groundwork and housekeeping first.
Anyhoooo…..The Geographical Element is one that most people wouldn’t think of in terms of National Power unless they really stop and think about it.
The Geographical Element of power is all the net power of a Nation-State that comes from its physical location and composition. Geography is the one element that is influenced least by a society: unless that society is engaged in something like Westward Expansion, building empires, or engaged in other means to gain geographical territory.
Geography enables counties with lots of arable land in the right latitudes to build on their economic power through agriculture. It enables tribal fiefdoms, who would otherwise be marginal actors on the world stage, to wield disproportionate influence on world affairs simply because they are sitting on large percentages of exploitable energy resources. Geography keeps darned near the entire Canadian population living within 50 miles of the US border.
Geography preserved the English people when Hitler found out he couldn’t cross a channel as easily as he had marched across Western Europe. Geography is the reason the country (and canal) of Panama even exists, and why Communist China (PRC) seeks to expand its influence there today. There are so many more examples, and no time to even hit all the best ones....
Gee! There is a lot going on in the world that I’d love to weigh in on, but I promised myself I’d take care of all the groundwork and housekeeping first.
Anyhoooo…..The Geographical Element is one that most people wouldn’t think of in terms of National Power unless they really stop and think about it.
The Geographical Element of power is all the net power of a Nation-State that comes from its physical location and composition. Geography is the one element that is influenced least by a society: unless that society is engaged in something like Westward Expansion, building empires, or engaged in other means to gain geographical territory.
Geography enables counties with lots of arable land in the right latitudes to build on their economic power through agriculture. It enables tribal fiefdoms, who would otherwise be marginal actors on the world stage, to wield disproportionate influence on world affairs simply because they are sitting on large percentages of exploitable energy resources. Geography keeps darned near the entire Canadian population living within 50 miles of the US border.
Geography preserved the English people when Hitler found out he couldn’t cross a channel as easily as he had marched across Western Europe. Geography is the reason the country (and canal) of Panama even exists, and why Communist China (PRC) seeks to expand its influence there today. There are so many more examples, and no time to even hit all the best ones....
Sunday, February 05, 2006
The Military Element: An Introduction
Six Elements of Power: Military
I didn’t pick this element to begin with because it is nearest and dearest to my heart (its not), but because for the purposes of this blog, it is probably the easiest to characterize to a sufficient degree.
This does not mean the Military Element is any less complex than the others; it is just that, in the United States anyway, it has some of the clearest lines drawn around it. Like a lot of free societies, we have specific charters and responsibilities that are formally and explicitly stated for the military, its structure, and its implementation. In ‘less free’ societies the purpose and activities could sometimes be generously described as ‘capricious’.
In a free society, the Military Element of a nation’s or state’s power is the sum total of ALL combat, combat support, command, control, and intelligence apparatus and resources used to project and employ armed force (sometimes violent) for the purpose of exerting the will of the nation or state on an actor or actors (external to the nation or state).
For mature national entities, the primary purpose of the Military Element is to act as a deterrent against adventurism and malice that can spring from friction with ‘less mature’ actors on the world stage. The secondary purpose is to successfully defend and promote the interests of the nation-state when that deterrence has failed.
I didn’t pick this element to begin with because it is nearest and dearest to my heart (its not), but because for the purposes of this blog, it is probably the easiest to characterize to a sufficient degree.
This does not mean the Military Element is any less complex than the others; it is just that, in the United States anyway, it has some of the clearest lines drawn around it. Like a lot of free societies, we have specific charters and responsibilities that are formally and explicitly stated for the military, its structure, and its implementation. In ‘less free’ societies the purpose and activities could sometimes be generously described as ‘capricious’.
In a free society, the Military Element of a nation’s or state’s power is the sum total of ALL combat, combat support, command, control, and intelligence apparatus and resources used to project and employ armed force (sometimes violent) for the purpose of exerting the will of the nation or state on an actor or actors (external to the nation or state).
For mature national entities, the primary purpose of the Military Element is to act as a deterrent against adventurism and malice that can spring from friction with ‘less mature’ actors on the world stage. The secondary purpose is to successfully defend and promote the interests of the nation-state when that deterrence has failed.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
The Elements of Power
Six Elements of Power
If one should exercise a favorite search engine using the terms "Elements of Power", "National Power", or "Elements of National Power", one might find that the terms are used to describe all sorts of things or characterize 'power' in many varied, but highly abstract, terms.
The Elements as described here, I believe, are the best descriptors and characterizations out there. And while I think it is possible there could be equal characterizations, I doubt there can be better ones.
I should note that any good Air Force NCO of my era will recognize these elements, as this is the way Elements of Power were taught in Leadership Schools and Academies.
The next few postings will expand the Elements one-by-one, and then transition into a discussion of how they are interrelated.
If one should exercise a favorite search engine using the terms "Elements of Power", "National Power", or "Elements of National Power", one might find that the terms are used to describe all sorts of things or characterize 'power' in many varied, but highly abstract, terms.
The Elements as described here, I believe, are the best descriptors and characterizations out there. And while I think it is possible there could be equal characterizations, I doubt there can be better ones.
I should note that any good Air Force NCO of my era will recognize these elements, as this is the way Elements of Power were taught in Leadership Schools and Academies.
The next few postings will expand the Elements one-by-one, and then transition into a discussion of how they are interrelated.
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