Reading Notes: If Only Someone Had Predicted…

I was doing a little background reading this morning, and was struck by this passage:

An aggressor faces two difficulties: can he conquer a country without destroying it? Can he rule it once it has been subdued? The victor’s inheritance may sometimes be quite harsh. In the Third World it may involve draining and indecisive conflicts, particularly where the opposing superpower has given arms to the insurgent population. Once committed, the aggressive superpower feels obliged to continue to fight, even if there is little prospect that he can win the allegiance of the population and extract resources and support from them.

Rosecrance, Richard. The Rise of the Trading State. 1986: 128.