National security does not develop in isolation. It draws legitimacy and strength from justice (the rule of law), inclusion (political and economic) and social consensus.

No amount of pontification cloaked in nationalistic, religious jargon or the continuous creation of institutions (one after the other) can safeguard national security interests in an environment filled with suspicion, dejection and a lack of trust in these institutions.

German political philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche alluded to this in the following manner: Real authority rests only on the confidence of the people at the bottom.

Nietzsche essentially implies that the ruler's authority rests on people's trust and confidence. He believes that if a ruler embodies qualities such as compelling vision, charisma and rhetorical skill, combined with a capacity for self-mastery, creativity and imposition of one's will on oneself, it may garner a form of respect, if not necessarily trust, in the conventional sense.

Nietzsche simultaneously underscores the critical role of the state in providing security and the conditions for culture to flourish. If a ruler effectively provides these fundamental needs, they may enjoy a degree of instrumental trust. People trust them to maintain order and stability. However, this is not necessarily a deep moral trust.

Nationhood and the authority of the state, by implication, rest on trust, vision, a sense of justice and a feeling of inclusion and security among citizens at........

© The Express Tribune