By: Sobha Beghoura
The concept of a state’s comprehensive power encompasses various fields of national work for which the country’s material, financial, human and logistical resources should be allocated.
It also encompasses anything that can empower these fields to advance development and security efforts.
Military Capability
The military capability, embodied in a state’s military institution and armed forces, is one of the most prominent manifestations of comprehensive power. The military capability is the indispensible bulwark of national security.
In order to achieve peace and stability, the military capability has been directly linked to the type and quantity of armament. Moreover, both of them are connected to the state’s geopolitical sphere; the extent of its domestic and foreign interests to achieve its security strategy and deterrence. This requires the possession of weapons that outpace those of the state’s perceived enemy.
In general, the military capability is tool of hard power which states rely on to implement their policies and achieve their goals, especially during dispute management, conflict resolution or crisis settlement. The military capability has been the most significant tool upon which great powers rely, whether by directly using it or threatening to use it.
Components of Military Capability
The military capability consists of several key elements that, combined, form an effective military force. This force includes qualified officers, trained soldiers, and armored vehicles such as main battle tanks, ships, submarines, jets, and air defense missiles.
All these elements enable the military capability to fulfill its constitutional duty of defending the homeland. It is noteworthy that a country’s military capability must have a background of humanitarian values and national principles that reinforce soldiers’ belief in their cause’s legitimacy, and the principles that instill in them a profound sense of loyalty and sacrifice.
Economic Capability
Enhancing national defense capabilities and ensuring the independence of the political will require material and financial capabilities that bolster the efforts of renewal and replacement and encourage more development efforts.
This is the public spending that primarily depends on having complete freedom in decision-making in a way that aligns with interests and prevents foreign meddling.
One of the economic capability’s main elements is preserving the purchasing power of the national currency and protecting the purchasing power of citizens. Hence, it means the state’s ability to improve the citizens’ standards of living and quality of life.
This is reflected in the modernization efforts of the armed forces to keep pace with the technological advancement in armament, as well as in other scientific and economic fields, such as industrial, agricultural and commercial production.
The positive outcomes of the wealth-generating economic activities are a main financial source for the public treasury, which supports the state’s budget towards enhancing the level of public spending on all production sectors and development programs.
Establishing a strong economic base upon which the armed forces rely entails reducing the military’s dependence on foreign arms to the least possible level, while increasing the revenues of the Defense Ministry from domestic industries and then entering the export market to contribute to raising the GDP.
Cultural Capability
Cultural capability is a form of soft power which involves active diplomatic presence and cultural diplomacy, which is an element of public diplomacy. Hence, it is understandable that culture is a diplomacy tool, and that diplomatic work is a fertile field for advancing cultural objectives.
These include enhancing creative capabilities across all the fields of arts, developing the skills of the talented to broaden their reach, and elevating the senses of citizens’ towards various auditory and visual arts.
Cultural elevation is the path towards intellectual growth that enables the rapid adaptation to different circumstances and the positive interaction with all situations. The impact of the soft power of culture lies in the elevation of media and the sophistication of the media messaging.
It also lies in cultivating strategic patience that protects the people from the absence of positive interaction or from the slow progress towards the reconciliation between committing to political realism and adhering to the principle of adapting to the changes in security conditions and determining the complex interplay between both.
Enhancing Resilience
The possession of military and economic capabilities will not yield the expected results unless the state puts efforts in enhancing the resilience of the domestic front. This involves meaningful initiatives to foster national unity, and sincere endeavors to promote social solidarity, philanthropy, civic and political awareness, and cultivate a sense of belonging and citizenship.
All these elements are bulwark against divisions, rumors and disinformation. The cultural capability plays an influential role in enhancing people’s awareness.
However, possessing an adequate level of cultural and social awareness, as well as the military and economic capabilities, does not necessarily mean that the state has the elements of comprehensive power. It falls upon the ability of foresight groups to predict and define the upcoming challenges, and the swift creation of response scenarios.
It also depends on the rapid and effective mobilization of the state forces to counter various threats with the appropriate tools and a high level of coordination among relevant departments and agencies by leveraging advanced communication technologies to respond with efficiency.
The continued training and regular administrative, functional, and professional development of human cadres and employees are among the key pillars for a state thriving to enhance the efficiency of national work and keep pace with the global development in all walks of life.
