ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the U. S. security challenges as if they were a war for which military force will be decisive when in fact it seeks governance for which less-violent means are more useful. It discusses the U. S. preparations for security on national military forces even though it consistently deploys more contractors than troops and works through a wide variety of commercial, civil society, and governmental organizations in solving security problems. The chapter shows that the U. S. has taken promising steps towards more effective policies–that do work toward governance and in tandem with relevant other organizations–they remain outside the political discussion. It argues that the evidence underpinning the arguments suggests that it is more the political strategy than the escalation of violence that is important to counterinsurgency success, but this nuance is downplayed. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the turbulent character of the current U. S. political scene makes these efforts both more challenging and more necessary.
