A doctrine of expeditionary economics, with practical guidelines for economic expansion, must begin with a clear notion of what works. Whenever the United States sends troops overseas, military planners must consider the effort in three phases: invasion, stabilization or pacification, and economic reconstruction. These are so strongly linked that the U.S. government should not engage in any significant military action until it has thought through and anticipated the requirements for stabilization or pacification and economic development.
Nor should economic development be seen as a separate task that can wait until after the others have been achieved. Although the various steps involved may compete for attention, there are also ways in which they can inform and reinforce one another. Counterinsurgency campaigns, for example, can facilitate economic growth by helping identify the entrepreneurial aspirations of certain individuals.
Expeditionary economics. And to think I've called it "foreign policy" all this time!
4 comments:
hey, wasn't that called 'colonizing'? those damn branding consultants...
We'll make those filthy wogs into capitalists yet! We just need more sensible-sounding cant.
"the entrepreneurial aspirations of certain individuals."
They're really taking that "corporations are people " thing to heart.
Oh, I get it. We can't end the wars unless we have robust profiteering.
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