Issues on Great Power Competition

WS-5510- DQ1: Responses
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Response to Cody
I entirely agree with your sentiments. First, you intimate that the world’s superpowers will continue doing everything in their power to consolidate their positions in the top echelons of the world’s economy and military prowess, among other aspects. As such, relentless efforts to outmaneuver their rivals or prove their mettle mean that the Great Power Competition is here to stay. Perhaps one thing you failed to do is outline the ramifications that will inevitably result from the constant duels between different countries as they endeavor to prove their formidability.
Further, I agree with you on the term "fog," which, according to Clausewitz, is the uncertainty that engulfs the spirit of the ruler (Clausewitz 1976, chapter 3). You intimate that in the context of GPC, some leaders feel confused about which course of action to take when confronted with complex situations. This is factual since they have to consider the consequences of their decisions lest they plunge their respective countries into untold misery and destruction.
The other term you explore is “friction," which, according to Clausewitz, is the force that makes things that seem easy on face value quite difficult (Clausewitz 1976, chapter 7). You hold that in the GPC context, friction arises when different countries pursue their own interests. While I agree with you, I think you would have gone further to give examples to make it more lucid.
Finally, you explore the phrase “war as an art” but fail to mention that Clausewitz, in his treatise, appears ambiguous in describing war as an art. For instance, the classic warrior intimates that “war is neither an art nor a science in the re...