One of the things missing in the debate on Afghanistan is how Afghanistan fits into the overall US National Security framework. There are are good arguments on both sides of the argument over the merits of Afghan strategies, but none that seem to tie it to our overall national security requirements. Regardless of the merits of individual national security issues, they must be racked and stacked as part of an overall portfolio of issues. The US simply doesn’t have an unlimited basket of resources to pursue every issue that bears on security. If we focus on each issue in isolation, we risk over-investing in one area at the expense of other key issues. We must approach these issues holistically, based upon our vital interests and center of gravity–what does it mean to be an American?
The United States is a noble experiment in liberty. The core of what it means to be an American is the survival of this experiment. Our key concepts are summed up in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.
The Declaration contains arguably one of the most powerful paragraphs ever written:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
The preamble to the US Constitution contains the second pillar of core American values:
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Liberal, representative government that protects liberty and personal freedom is the cornerstone of the United States. Anything that undermines this concept, undermines our national security. Thus, our vital interests are the requirements to protect and to maintain this concept of American core values.
US Vital Interests
The figure at the right shows three key vital interests to protect the American core values:
- An Informed Electorate
- A Vibrant Economy
- Security from Attack
Without an informed electorate, we simply cannot have a free society. The electorate must make informed decisions, based upon factual information. To do this, the electorate needs to be both educated and informed.
Likewise, the US will not remain a free society without a vibrant economy that can provide both jobs that sustain a high standard of living for our citizens and provide the resources required to finance the government.
Security from attack–what most people consider the key vital interest and cornerstone of security–is only one part of the overall security framework. If we are broke, but secure, what have gained? If we are secure, but no longer free, what have we gained. Thus, the three interests are not separate and mutually exclusive. Rather, they are part of a connected web that needs to be balanced. This web is shown in the figure at the right.
National Security Web
If we focus solely on one part of this web at the expense of the others, we risk unraveling the entire web, much like what happens to a piece of cloth when a loose thread is pulled. The weave falls apart. Thus, we must approach national security from a portfolio perspective and balance our investments. We cannot focus on one aspect of national security to the exclusion of the others.
Many might, however, think that investing in education or the economy is not an investment in national security. Investments in education, however, provide the capable soldiers the military requires, the research and development the military requires and more importantly, the informed electorate our Republic requires. Likewise, a vibrant economy provides the resources the military requires to sustain its ability to protect the United States from attack.
If we over-invest in one area at the expense of the other areas, the overall web is weakened, potentially to the breaking point. We must prudently approach all major national security investments not in isolation, but as part of an overall portfolio.
Therefore, the question becomes not simply should we invest in Afghanistan, but rather how does an investment in Afghanistan strengthen national security and how does it rank with other investments that we can make?
We live in an increasingly complex and competitive global environment. If the US cannot compete in this new environment, national security and our way of life is clearly at stake. Therefore, we must consider, with constrained resources and a complex, competitive environment, where do we want to invest our resources? It is an investment for our future. Will success in Afghanistan–which we still haven’t defined–make us more secure and protect our way of life 10-20 years from now? Is it the best use of our resources available for investment? That is the debate that we need to have, vice a simple debate on Afghanistan in isolation.
Could the resources be better invested in education, infrastructure and energy?
What are the consequences of a failed state in Afghanistan versus other national security issues?
Jeff Marshall
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