Killing weeds necessary, but insufficient
Great article by strategist Thomas Barnett regarding the global war on terrorism. His analogy is this: killing weeds, while necessary, is insufficient; we must also plant grass. I.e., killing terrorists is fine (& necessary), but our long-term vision should be removing the conditions and the operating domain from which terrorist groups flourish.
My point is this: In security terms, it’s always going to feel like we’re losing this war or — at best — achieving an operational stalemate. The real victory won’t come on any battlefield but rather in boardrooms.
In the end, we can’t kill bad guys faster than our enemies can grow them. Instead, we must offer them a more attractive recruitment package.
Bottom line: globalization’s creeping advance provides jobs to the most disconnected parts of the world, obviating the otherwise seductive influence of the extremists in those areas.