The world started changing in 1989. It's still changing and I suspect it'll be in flux for another 20 to 30 years. That's a lot of potential chaos and all we can do is be alert. We need to be able to do full spectrum and that includes FID and such -- BUT we should avoid it where at all possible for five reasons:

First, it is expensive, tedious, dirty, hard on people and units all for generally little recompense; the payback has never been worth the effort for us or anyone else involved in third party COIN. That includes the British, French, and South Africans in addition to us and the USSR.

Secondly, our governmental system does not lead to continuity of effort over an eight to ten year span. The FID effort does not need to last that long but the way we do them -- halfheartedly -- leads to long periods of time.

Thirdly, that change in the world I cited means, among many other things impacting us, that door kicking a military specialty and default operating mode is passe. Or should be, mostly, anyway. Rough stuff is not encouraged by the World today and if the operation is long term due to the way we have elected (not been forced to; elected...) to do the job the potential for the "more notice at home than it should" (I'd add 'and abroad') and pressure builds. That pressure can act in unforeseen ways as when the 94th Congress cowardly pulled the plug on the logistic support we, the US Government, had promised South Viet Nam; no troops, just ammo and log support.

Fourth, it's militarily unbalanced and thus creates too many opportunities for the opponent. It does not play to US strength; why should we offer up a glass jaw?

Fifth, the American public -- an adequate majority anyway -- will support a reasonably sensible war. Given Iraq and the basis on which it was pitched as opposed to the true reason (which would have garnered more support but it would have taken longer and been more work to garner that support), I'd even say they'll support a war that doesn't seem sensible -- until it turns bad. A coin fight by its very nature is almost certain to do that regardless of how well trained your force is unless they are totally dedicated to that mission -- and we cannot afford to do that. The probability of it turning bad means that the operation will create more schisms and angst in the public than is necessary. I'm not that into worrying about John Q. Public but I see no sense in causing unnecessary anxiety and potential problems with voters. If it has to be done, do it -- if there's a better way, then don't do it.

That said, we can do it, may have to and should certainly train for it and be prepared to execute on order but it would be better to better fund State and USAID, reinstitute the US Information Agency and give them all enough people and money to stop a lot of this stuff before it builds up and we react. I hate the word 'proactive' but we really, really need to get out of the reactive mode.

There are better ways.