How Insurgencies End

[MikeF]

The military will always be the "capacity reserve" for government.

Have a flood? Call the military

Have a riot? Call the military

Have a forest fire? Call the military

Have a hurricane? Call the military

Have a poorly crafted concept that you can "Develop" and "Secure" your way to victory? Call the military.

The problem is not so much that the military is being used improperly, it is that we have crafted the improper solution to the problem. The end result will remain, "call the military."

One trend that is observed in developing countries with protracted insurgencies is the standardized use of the military to police. In those cases, the military is not the "capacity reserve," but the main effort.

As some of the lessons of Colombia show us, maybe we should start increasing our efforts to assist and advice towards mentoring police and judicial reform instead of further strengthening the military apparatus.

This notion goes against the current belief that we should secure and stabilize first through the military.