The Soldier and the State

The professional soldier is the best soldier, especially in a democracy that seeks a balance between the military and civilian authorities. The discipline and obedience of a professional soldier will compel him to defer to statesmen in matters of national security policy. Conversely, statesmen should respect the choice of strategy and tactics soldiers make in pursuit of that policy. To allow soldiers to dictate policy, or politicians to determine tactics, is an act of arrogance, showing utter disrespect to the expertise of one's counterparts, and subjecting national security to personal whim.

Huntington's concern is that the American concept of the citizen soldier has undermined the emergence of the professional soldier. In the Philippines, the problem is with the self-proclaimed statesman soldier as exemplified by Trillanes. Perhaps driven to despair by legitimate grievances, his delusions have led him to try to seize state power to save the nation. But neither having the military genius nor the showmanship of Caesar, he has ended a miserable failure, languishing in jail, and setting back the development of Philippine institutions.