Agency exists within relationships

July 28, 2026

In a complex system the fact is that ‘agency’, the power to influence outcomes, resides within relationships, it doesn’t map to agents or capacities. This is the central truth of complex systems that condemns militarism to inevitable failure. And so, currently, the US with its phenomenal military destructive capacity is seen to have rather limited influence. And the more it attempts to bully and exert ‘control’, the less able it is to wield influence. Professional diplomats understand this implicitly and will see the ‘if you want peace prepare for war’ slogan as a ludicrous proposition that only serves the military-industrial-complex. Capacities, including military capacities, are important in a strategic planning process because they constrain potential outcomes, but it is the relationships, not capacities, that determine actual outcomes. In this nation’s relationship with China, I see both Marles and the increasingly disappointing Wong as sadly mistaken in adopting the Washington perspective and responding to the Chinese military capacities by preparing for war rather than preparing for a peace built on a sophisticated mutual understanding. Of course you cannot get there by inviting the US miliary and security apparatus to write your strategic plan .