Diminishing Warfare... Partnering and Mobilization

Last week, I talked about championing human rights as a part of a "diminishing warfare" strategy for the United States - engaging the base of unjust conditions that breed terror. The next two steps of this strategy involve partnerships and mobilization of the American public. By this, I propose that the United States should be:

Partnering with international, regional, and local governments as well as governmental, non-governmental (NGOs) and private volunteer organizations (PVOs). The job of diminishing underlying conditions is immense and can only be tackled by alliances, coalitions, and cooperation with all available like-minded governments and organizations, as well as the joint and interagency cooperation and integration of US government entities. We must improve our communication with these groups, find where our objectives overlap, and coordinate our efforts for maximum impact in a given location. In military operations, the Civil-Military Operations Centeris the vital hub of this partnership and must be integrated into theater planning and operations.

Mobilizing the American People. Our largest asset in warfare has always been the American populace and private industrial base. The United States is peculiar among industrialized nations in the preponderance of wealth owned by private citizens and organizations versus the government, as well as the relatively small size of the government workforce in proportion to the population. During previous global wars, the United States mobilized its population to great effect, rallying them to action to support the war effort with their money (as with War Bonds), volunteerism (such as in the USO and American Red Cross), and self-sacrifice (voluntary and involuntary rationing, “victory gardens,” tire and metal drives, etc.). The American people remain willing to participate – in 2004, charitable contributions before the incredible response to the deadly Tsunamis in December topped $200 billion, and over half of US adults volunteered, providing an estimated 20 billion charitable work hours. However, the citizenry needs clear direction, rallying, and leadership to focus and intensify its efforts. We must mobilize these unequalled resources of people, institutions, and finances to have maximum impact in the war on terror.

Next... the final leg of the strategy of "diminishing warfare": coordinated information operations. Sounds sinister? I hope not...