Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Frederick Kagan

Power and Persuasion. At the end of this must read essay he makes the obvious point that so many forget:

Diplomacy is not the opposite of war, and war is not the failure of diplomacy. Both are tools required in various proportions in almost any serious foreign-policy situation. Yes, it is vitally important for the United States to "work with" and "support" international organizations, but their success in the foreseeable future will depend at least as much on the strength of the American military and on America's willingness to put its power behind those organizations. On that strength and on that willingness rests nothing less than the peace of the world.

1 comment:

Stephen said...

harumph