Originally Posted by
RaymondMillen
The point of the title is not that we should adopt empire building but to note that former world powers undestood how to deal with non-state threats more pragmatically. As Dr Steve Metz and I bat around ideas, it occured to me that we of the modern nation state view the global environment through the eyes of state dominance in international politics. The state as we know it probably reached its pinnacle in the twentieth century, likely because of the tremendous resources devoted to both world wars and the cold war. That said, non-state threats were subsumed by the larger conflict and attention...and largely seen as part of the cold war struggle. So, as the cold war environment has faded, non-state threats are assuming their traditional position in the global and regional environment.
For great powers, it is a mistake to treat non-state threats as a state threat, turning a conflict into a minature WWII, ending with occupation and nation-building as the final signal of success. Rather, sometimes punitive expeditions often send the correct signal to non-state actors that provoking the United States has severe penalties without the payoffs (e.g., protracted insurgency and extensive financial investments) in the region.
As any great power recognizes from the Egyptians to Eisenhower, economic strength is the primary concern and anything which disrupts the financial health of the power should be avoided. So, when considering how to deal with traditional non-state threats, the United States would be wise to sue traditional means--punitive strikes, pay-offs of involved actors, creating buffer states or buffer tribal regions, etc. Whenever the United States intervenes with large and multiple headquarters, extensive military bases/camps, and economic incentives, it sends the message to the host state that the United States is invested in its success. Hence, both the host state actors and insurgents conspire whether they recognize it or not in prolonging the conflict. Financial gain is the driving incentive.
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