<Use of military force is the means by which nations protect their sovereignty, and/or defend their interests.>
Military power is proportional to economic and demographic power. Consider these numbers:
The U.S. is 5% of the world's population, and that % is not increasing.
Our economy is about 20-25% of the global economy, and that % is falling fast.
For most of the last 3000 years, China and India have, together, held about half of the world's total wealth. The last 200 years, when Europe and European-derived cultures dominated, is an anomaly, rapidly ending.
It is in our self-interest, to promote non-violent conflict resolution between nations, and international law which applies equally to weak and strong. It's in our interest, because American global dominance is fading fast. We are, today, much like England a century ago, right before WW1. Whether this is good or bad doesn't matter; it's happening regardless.
Americans are a very practical people. We do things because they work. "Speak softly and carry a big stick" worked for us last century, when we had the biggest stick.
"Let's all put down our sticks and talk about it" will work a lot better for us in the 21st Century, because the Chinese and Indians, and then the Brazilians and Nigerians, are going to have sticks as big as ours. |
