An Ounce of Prevention Beats a Pound of Cure

In 2002, the National Security Strategy (NSS) stated, "America is now threatened less by conquering states than we are by failing ones." In a post cold war world, it is not "fleets and armies" that threaten America, but weak and failing states. In order to overcome the security challenges that arise from the ungoverned spaces and vulnerable populations within weak states, the US must employ a balanced foreign development strategy. However, failure to properly resource the nations experts in diplomacy and development has seen the military filling the void by default and institutionalizing foreign development into the DOD mission. The result has been a militarization of foreign policy and has had adverse impacts on US credibility internationally.