Foreign Affairs LIVE: State Building in Theory & Practice

Every U.S. entry into a sovereign nation, whether an invasion, occupation, full military conflict, or humanitarian intervention, has unpredictable outcomes that require contingency planning. Under what conditions should the United States include state building in its contingency toolkit? Can the United States sustain a commitment to the troops, money, and resources required by state building? Can state building fight terrorism while still protecting the right of sovereignty?

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[MrEthekyaa]

How about we break up the Durand Line and give Pashtunistan back to the Afghans to whom it rightfully belongs.

[CheeezMaster]

IF nation building is to succeed, it will only do so if the effort is WANTED.

At present, the only ones benefiting from nation building are the city dwellers. And they are subjected to loads of violence.

I think non interventionism is the way to go. But all that lithium and pipe lines....

[GenerationAux]

Great discussion on a complicated subject. I can agree that political culture and traditions need to be a focal point of discussions regarding state building. In Afghanistan where tribal, regional, and ethnic groups are far more important than any national identity a strong centralized government seems to be far out of place.