War & Health

Small Wars Journal has a good piece by MountainRunner on in-sourcing national power. Here is the gist of the argument:

The U.S. needs to take a systematic, holistic “whole of government” approach to reconstruction and stabilization that puts the focus on meeting the basic needs of the people in these countries. This shouldn’t be about what the U.S. needs or wants, but what the people of the country in question need and want. Basically, when people are safe, secure, full (not hungry), engaged and comfortable, they have no need to fight or support terrorists. Terrorists work by instigating and sustaining instability, fear, and discomfort (disillusionment) and if the USG fights buys-in to this approach by fighting back with hard-power only, it just perpetuates the cycle.

Matt’s analysis is spot on. Rupert Smith’s “wars amongst the people” and Mary Kaldor’s “new wars” cannot be won by the pointy end of the spear (read: military force) alone. Modern conflict requires a human security perspective where victory is obtained more through civilian programs than military operations. A force prepared for these wars needs more than just boots on the ground, but also wingtips (diplomatic), booties (health), steel-toes (engineering), and Birkenstock (NGOs). The military component of such a force does not seek victory through the destruction of the enemy (impossible in modern conflict) but simply provides the security and stability necessary for the civilian / political components to achieve a sustainable, successful outcome.