Coercing compliance : state-initiated brute force in today's world

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Coercing compliance : state-initiated brute force in today's world

Robert Mandel

Stanford Security Studies, c2015

  • : pbk
  • : hbk

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Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-296) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Few global security issues stimulate more fervent passion than the application of brute force. Despite the fierce debate raging about it in government, society and the Academy, inadequate strategic understanding surrounds the issue, prompting the urgent need for -the first comprehensive systematic global analysis of 21st century state-initiated internal and external applications of brute force. Based on extensive case evidence, Robert Mandel assesses the short-term and long-term, the local and global, the military, political, economic, and social, and the state and human security impacts of brute force. He explicitly isolates the conditions under which brute force works best and worst by highlighting force initiator and force target attributes linked to brute force success and common but low-impact force legitimacy concerns. Mandel comes to two major overarching conclusions. First, that the modern global application of brute force shows a pattern of futility-but one that is more a function of states' misapplication of brute force than of the inherent deficiencies of this instrument itself. Second, that the realm for successful application of state-initiated brute force is shrinking: for while state-initiated brute force can serve as a transitional short-run local military solution, he says, it cannot by itself provide a long-run global strategic solution or serve as a cure for human security problems. Taking the evidence and his conclusions together, Mandel provides policy advice for managing brute force use in the modern world.

Table of Contents

  • Contents and Abstracts1Introduction: The Study's Central Thrust chapter abstractThis chapter presents the analytical focus, scope of concern, and key definitions involved in analyzing state-initiated brute force. The analytical focus is on major twenty-first-century state-initiated internal and external applications of brute force. The scope of concern is global, covering both wartime and peacetime as well as human security, state security, and regional and global security, including both short-run and long-run military and political, economic, and social impacts. The key definitions are of brute force, force success, force effectiveness, and force legitimacy. 2Modern Coercion Conundrum chapter abstractIn the twenty-first century, global system transformation and national might misperception have led to a modern coercion conundrum. The global system setting sets the tone for acceptable tolerance norms, common practices, and constraints and opportunities surrounding brute force-political leaders who decide whether to apply force do not do so in a vacuum. Within this setting, these leaders often develop distorted views of confrontations, involving overblown expectations about coercive benefits. The modern coercion conundrum consists of five paradoxes: perplexing persistence, eroding effectiveness, military maladjustment, lessening legitimacy, and chaotic consequence. 3Cases of State External Brute Force Use chapter abstractThis chapter examines major twenty-first-century external state-initiated brute force incorporating political stability threats. The ten cases are the American drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, American killing of Osama bin Laden, American invasion of Afghanistan, American invasion of Iraq, French intervention in Mali, Israeli destruction of a Syrian nuclear facility, Israeli invasion of Lebanon, NATO coercion in Libya, North Korean sinking of a South Korean ship, and Russian invasion of Georgia. Major powers (except North Korea) have tended to project force internationally. Each case includes the description of the force use, the purpose and rationale of force initiators and targets, force effectiveness, force legitimacy, and future prospects. 4Cases of State Internal Brute Force Use chapter abstractThis chapter examines major twenty-first-century internal state-initiated brute force incorporating political stability threats. The ten cases of internal state force use are the Bahraini crackdown on dissidents, Chinese repression of dissidents, Egyptian repression of dissidents, Greek repression of dissidents, Indian repression of Kashmir separatists, Mexican coercion against drug lords, Myanmar repression of dissidents, Sudanese repression of dissidents, Syrian repression of rebels, and Thai repression of dissidents. Weaker governments (the strongest of which are China, Greece, and India) tend to use force domestically. Each case explicitly includes the description of the force use, the purpose and rationale of force initiators and force targets, force effectiveness, force legitimacy, and future prospects. 5Brute Force Security Impact Patterns chapter abstractCarefully examining the state-initiated brute force case study outcomes reveals persistent patterns of success and failure. After flagging security dangers from overuse and underuse of force, this chapter identifies the conditions under which state-initiated brute force works best, highlighting standards from which deviations could be measured and comparatively evaluated to determine the wisdom of force use. Identified initiator and target attributes linking to successful outcomes merit much higher policy priority than common but low-impact force legitimacy concerns. 6Conclusion: Promising Security Paths chapter abstractThis chapter translates case patterns into policy advice for managing brute force. Broad guidelines emerge regarding brute force prior to its application: (1) considering broad implications, situating it within a wider range of influence instruments, and evaluating the full security repercussions of its application
  • (2) identifying coercive limitations, expanding open discussion about the restricted value of brute force, and framing it as a transitional local military solution
  • and (3) acquiring wide acceptance, pursuing when feasible multilateral approval and cooperation, and forestalling deterioration of regional and global state and human security. Specific recommendations emerge regarding brute force during its use, linked to force initiator attributes associating with success involving attainable purpose, credible commitment, unified resolve, and forward thinking. Brute force is situated in a very different place today than in the past, involving a far-from-ideal setting, a messy current global security challenge, and a resulting shrinking brute force role.

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