As the only global superpower, America can use its military, economic and cultural might for good or ill. We can use our power to become a worldwide empire, or to support and enhance global stability. And enhancing global stability is really the best way to enhance our own security.
The most likely threats to security in today's world do not come from direct conflict with other nations. They come from regional conflicts (such as between Pakistan and India), ethnic conflicts, oppressed peoples attempts to liberate themselves, terrorism and cyberattacks. In this environment, security readiness needs to include fostering public recognition that vulnerability is a fact of life. Building better security in regard to these threats requires cooperation with other governments.
Terrorism is a good example of this point. To understand how to combat terrorism, one first has to understand terrorism itself. Terrorists themselves may be irredeemable, but the conditions that foster them are not. Terrorism is a technique of war, being used by agents that are trying to solve a political problem. Declaring war on terrorism is akin to declaring war on blitzkrieg; one is blinding oneself to the enemy that is running the engine of war. Terrorism originates in the poorest and most oppressed regions of the world, and much of the terrorism against the US is tied to middle east conflicts. Unwillingness to recognize these fact alienates supporters and builds strategy that is built on mistaken assumptions. Also, a policy of unilateral compulsion against governments breeds a high priority for developing WMDs among governments who do not want to be american vassals.
Modern communication creates unrest because oppressed or poverty-stricken peoples have knowledge of how much better others live. And modern technology enables weak ones to attack the strong. Those who have nothing to lose are thus most likely to become security threats. They can also make themselves stronger by simplified thinking about their target, in order to focus hostility and resolve.
But simplified thinking makes the strong weak. To defend against terrorism, we need to pacify and organize the socially deprived and politically unjustly treated. We need to stabilize the energy-producing regions. Simplifying the target blinds us to the effects of our choices.
The US needs to make the EU an ally in stabilizing the middle east. We need to encourage the expansion of EU and NATO to increase the stability in Eurasia. We need to recognize that our continuing economic investment in China enables it to be peaceful with Japan. China and India should be added to the G8 (making a G10) to further increase stability and recognize their important roles in that region.
Globalization has become synonymous with Americanization among many oppressed peoples. This causes America to become a target of resentment whenever globalization is seen as causing hardships. US has not created a level playing field in its agreements. Accountability must be established and sensitivity to oppressed or this resentment could lead to greater instability.
Many of the poorest regions of the world are having increasingly young populations, while the industrialized populations are becoming older. This could lead to restlessness against US and vulnerability among richer nations.
A doctrine of prevention should not be conflated with with a doctrine of prevention. There is a big difference between launching a preemptive attack against an agent that is about to launch an attack against you, and launching a preventive attack against someone who is hostile toward you and might someday think about attacking you. A doctrine of preventive attack unleashing rationalization for an extremely unstable global environment.