Failing the Failed: The Bush Administration and Failed States

As the Bush administration enters its final months, the United States remains challenged by what can and should be done about fragile, failing, and failed states. In the article, “Failing the Failed: The Bush Administration and Failed States” published in the current issue of the Harvard International Review, CDI Senior Analyst Rachel Stohl and University of California Professor Michael Stohl argue that a preconceived strategy that is capable of handling political, economic, and social needs, in addition to more immediate security requirements, is both necessary and crucial for addressing the problem of failed states. Stohl and Stohl explain that even though the consequences of these failing states are varied, each requires some type of stabilizing action to prevent further collapse and regional consequences. Although the Bush administration has little time left to repair the damage done by its disdain for the actual requirements of nation-building beyond the call for freedom and the toppling of regimes, Stohl and Stohl outline useful steps that could be taken to begin to address government capacity and community needs.