Yearning for a Stable Democracy in Honduras
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In a July 9 op-ed ["Fuel for a Coup"], Costa Rican President Oscar Arias warned against reckless military spending in Latin America at the expense of the economic and social needs of the people. As Abraham Maslow noted in his psychological study of human motivations, for people to meet the highest needs of self-actualization, such as a sense of identity and purpose, their lower needs must be achieved first, starting with the basic physiological necessities of food, water and security.
Democratic nations can apply the same notions to avoid focusing on traditional military approaches when combating insurgents. As Richard Nixon once warned, we must disabuse ourselves of the notion that national strength is measured solely by military power and that simply by having enough of it we can feel secure.
The low-intensity conflicts that plague Central and Latin America, Iraq and Afghanistan -- among dozens of other countries -- cannot be won or even contained by military prowess alone. To eradicate every root of instability in these countries requires an analytical look through a prism of political, social, economic and military issues, and a synchronized application of all four elements of U.S. power.
REINA SAIKI
Research Assistant
National Defense Council Foundation
Alexandria
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