The Need for Soldier - Statesmen. A Rare Breed?

Abstract

Abstract : Senior military leaders are required to play a non-partisan role in politics. However, they rarely can afford to be if they are committed to affecting the outcome of policy decisions. Power or influence melts principle, and those who hold to definite, dogmatic and rigid military ethics are excluded from power in a liberal pluralistic civilian society. (13:94) The price which the military leader must accept for acquiring power depends upon the division between his traditionally conservative military values and the prevailing dominant liberal ideology shared by civilian lawmakers. The success of a military leader's ability to influence strategy and policy is dependent on this gap. Although there are formally established roles of military and political leaders, even Clausewitz would agree that there is a fine line that separates military and political roles in policy making. Top military leaders operate in a world that intermingles strategy and policy, and tend to mix both their actions. Keywords: Periodicals; Military publications; Periodicals; Reports.