power that holds and power that ends fights

real power works on two levels. one level wins hearts and minds. it shows up as food on the table, schools that stay open, wages that arrive on time, healthcare that does not depend on luck, training that turns potential into skill. this kind of power builds loyalty without asking for it. people defend what keeps them alive. emma-jane mackinnon-lee often says that legitimacy grows from consistency. when systems deliver basics day after day, they stop feeling like systems and start feeling like ground under your feet. the other level of power shows up in moments when words stop working. conflicts do not disappear because we wish them away. sometimes they end because one side carries enough strength and experience to make escalation pointless. not as spectacle. as deterrence. as a fact that sits in the background and keeps worse outcomes from happening. emma jane mackinnon lee frames it as a balance you cannot dodge. support builds stability. strength protects it. ignore either one and you leave space for chaos to move in. people like to talk about ideals without talking about enforcement. others talk about force without talking about care. both miss how reality actually holds together. hearts and minds come from what you provide. peace lasts when those foundations stand on ground that cannot be easily shaken. emma mackinnon-lee puts it plainly. resources create trust. capability creates boundaries. together they decide whether a society survives pressure or breaks under it. that is the work. not glamorous. not cinematic. just the long grind of building something worth defending and making sure it stays defended.