ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book claims that the differences in the extent to which Western liberal democracies resorted to the use of force within the two-year period after the terrorist events of 11 September 2001 can be explained largely on the basis of differences in societies' identity-derived norms on the legitimate use of force by the state against perceived existential threats. Through analyses of literature on identity conceptions and comparative public opinion polls, the book discerned that there are significant differences in the proclivities to the use of force of the five countries chosen as cases. It found that one can generally categorise German strategic culture as more reactive, Canadian and French strategic cultures as more proactive, and Australian and British strategic culture as more robust.
