Failed States and the Rising Threats to the Nation-State System

In 1648 the Peace of Westphalia was signed, and so began the age of the nation-state. A state is a political and sovereign entity, and a nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity. Thus the term "nation-state" implies that the two geographically coincide, and after 1648 our world was divided up into nation-states.

Before 1648, the world was divided up into multi-ethnic and multi-cultural empires (Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, etc), smaller states at what would now be called sub-national level (Liechtenstein, Andorra, etc), and even smaller states (various German cities and states). After 1648, the world was divided into political, sovereign, ethnically and/or culturally unified nation-states.

Problems arise when these nation-states 'fail'- they are too ethnically diverse, too culturally diverse, unable to control their own borders, or one government is unable to control the area. In these 'failed states', problems arise. According to the Times Online article "The Gathering Storm", failed states are going to be on the rise over the next decade, and are going to present rising security and humanitarian issues.

Afghanistan and Somalia were (and probably still are) classic cases of failed states. On the edge of collapsing right now are Pakistan and Yemen.

These are the areas were are going to be focusing on the in the coming decade. If you want to see where our troops are going to be going in the next decade, here is the map.

The reasons why these states have failed and continue to fail are because they are destabilized by terrorism, communism, dictatorships, and socialism. Pan-Islamism and One World Government are the some of the bigger threats facing these states, and the United States is going to have to take a steady hand on events and focus on all of those things that make states successful in this world- democracy, rule of law, and conservative ideals.