Seas, rivers, lakes, hurricanes, and countless other forces fill cycles of time, both their great and major and minor events. War is a massive hammer of fire, and it is wielded by the hand of power to strike an adversary who may be near or far. In the early 1960s, the world held its breath after American reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet nuclear weapons on Cuban soil. The young American president, John F. Kennedy, raised a flaming hammer, brandishing threats and mustering up his forces to confront the bold actions of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Things quickly spiraled, and a clash between the two greatest nuclear powers on Earth seemed imminent.
The US Secretary of Defense at the time, Robert McNamara, favored unyielding diplomacy, while the young president charged into a zero-sum confrontation with his temperamental Soviet rival. Dismantling the Soviet nuclear weapons deployed close enough to be seen from the American coast was Kennedy’s non-negotiable demand. In the end, Khrushchev backed down and accepted the terms after Secretary McNamara proposed a settlement encompassing military arrangements in the volatile region along the Soviet border, making Khrushchev an offer that allowed him to save face and maintain a semblance of his strongman image. The world breathed a sigh of relief. A fragile peace was maintained after it had been snatched from the grip of terrifying great-power impulses after political means triumphed over raw displays of force.
Political choices made on the edge of a deadly abyss turn the wheel of alternatives: bitter, sweet, and everything in between. The primary goal of building power, for any nation, is the protection of its national security. Defending a country's economic interests is also a crucial consideration, but it must not come at a higher human and financial cost than those devoted to safeguarding the nation’s interests. These are the pillars of policy on the use of armed force.
Former US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger adopted the same political formulas that had been championed by Robert McNamara. With the long and bloody war that the United States waged against communist nationalist Vietnamese fighters backed by the Soviet Union and China, a hot war had broken out within the broader Cold War between great powers.
Henry Kissinger leaped into the fire of the Vietnam War from China, convincing President Richard Nixon to visit Beijing and meet its aging leader, Mao Zedong.
Major crises race around the minds of those who hold power. They used weaponry, wealth, and decision-making to dissolve crises, understanding the chemistry of this process begins with comprehending what germinates in those minds. Crisis management is a battle that cannot be left to the military alone, especially when power is in the hands of impulsive and inexperienced figures who rise under the cover of a silent night.
In Third World countries that gained independence after centuries of colonization, ignorance, and poverty took root and strong national identities never emerged. Ethnic and sectarian communities and groups became dominant, and civil society was absent. The military thus became the only real institution of power in these newly independent nations, and political authority became a battlefield between those who possessed weapons.
Africa has witnessed more military coups than any other continent in the world, entrenching tyranny, underdevelopment, and chronic suffering. The concept of a functional state withered, as did the fabric of an effective civil society within it.
After colonial powers departed from the Arab world, some countries made sincere efforts to build the foundations of statehood. Their leaders used whatever resources available to them to invest in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. They upheld the rule of law, promoted equality among citizens, and avoided conflicts both near and far. Managing a new political system one has no prior experience with certainly requires the power of intellect, the use of inherited wisdom, consultation with elders and community leaders, and fostering hope among the youth. A promising degree of social peace was achieved, and the will to build and develop began taking shape.
However, these nascent entities were dealt heavy blows. Low- and mid-ranking officers seized power through military coups. Violence prevailed, slogans filled the air, emotions and dreams ruled hearts and minds, and enmity among nations grew, even as banners and goals became confused.
For decades political, economic, and social structures trembled. Crises accumulated, while decision-makers remained oblivious to the perilous abyss that they had been heading towards. Defeats mounted, structures weakened, and only crises aggravated relentlessly.
In Latin America, some nations also suffered from military coups. However, the alarm rang louder, ushering in an era of realism, and the grip of dictatorships and bloody oppression began to wane.
Life is a long and arduous journey, filled with endless tests, triumphs, and defeats. Wise leaders, those who make their decisions by balancing interests and costs, illuminate the path toward progress and resurgence. As Abu al-Aswad al-Duali has said:
“A people cannot thrive in chaos without wise leaders,
And there can be no wise leaders when the ignorant reign.
A house cannot stand without pillars,
And there can be no pillars if pegs are not secured.
But when pegs and pillars unite together,
Objectives are within reach."
