Some of you may know the lyrics, and so to you the angle of this post is pretty evident.

I rarely dabble much in this specific corner of the SWC, but I'm going to play devil's advocate for the following question. We've recently spent time discussing the responsibility to protect, and have previously discussed advancing national interests through the strengthening of democratic principles abroad (being mindful of course to avoid hubris along the way).

We've also talked about shared prosperity, and the principles that when a state, tribe, or even a culture enjoy increased prosperity, we all stand to benefit and some of the factors that cause small wars recede. Is this general premise true though, across the long term, and where is the tipping point?

If we work to increase prosperity around the world, how can we do it in a fashion that does not increase the demand for resources to such a degree that conflict ensues? Whether it's water, arable land, oil, or access to minerals and metals, as tribes and states prosper, consumption increases and the realist in me tells me that conflict is inevitable. In logical terms, it seems counter-productive to try to reduce the number of have-nots in the world.