Civil society Quote by Stanley A. McChrystal
“We need to defend against weaknesses within and enemies without, using the tools of civil society and hard power. We don't have to pick one over the other.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: National Defense Strategy, 2018
Balance civil society tools and hard power to address threats internally and externally.
In simple terms: Use both soft and hard methods to defend.
Key Takeaway
Combine soft and hard tactics.
Themes
security
strategy
society
Mood
strategic
reflective
Type
analytical
concerned
When to use this quote
- counterterrorism
- public health crises
- cyber threats
Key Concepts
political science
military doctrine
Questions to Reflect On
- When should soft power dominate?
- How to avoid overreliance on force?
A Different Perspective
Hard power may overlook civil liberties.
![“The social [media channel] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection, and community. That's what there's too little of in today's mediascape, despite all the hoopla surrounding social tools. The promise…” quote by Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c85/umair-haque-25881_beauty_the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-bea_1270.jpg)
![“[T]here are, at bottom, basically two ways to order social affairs, Coercively, through the mechanisms of the state - what we can call political society. And voluntarily, through the private interaction of individuals and associations - what we can call civil society. ... In a civil society, you…” quote by Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b8b/ed-crane-39299_affair_t-here-are-at-bottom-basically-two-ways_34431.jpg)
