I look forward to the article, but I don't see the two concepts being mutually exclusive in practice.

Empowering South Korea has the effect in containing North Korea, for example.

As I see it, the issue is one of perspective. Some people see whatever policy or strategy is in question as empowering group A, others will see it as containing group B.

Unfortunately I would point to your quote a few posts earlier - that is all it is, a word - and suggest that the same damnation applies to empowerment as it does containment.

I would like to be proved wrong, however.