Throughout history the world has been plagued by the great imbalance – those who are weak versus those who are strong. It is this imbalance, this lack of equilibrium that creates turmoil because, all things being equal, often, the strong will always tend to prey on the weak. In any dimension, from the alcoholic husband beating his wife and children to the superpower bringing weakling nations to heel, the dynamic is always in play.

The problem arises from a lack of morality, for when morality is ignored or excluded; the conclusion is just the same as that when a fox and hen are in the same cage. Although the moral guidance found in religion tries to temper the predator versus prey mentality, it still causes huge strife. Recently though, as religion is increasingly abandoned and ignored, we find humanity rushing towards primal instincts of selfishness and greed, a way of life codified by Niccolo Machiavelli’s infamous book, The Prince.

The truth is, in an immoral or amoral world, weakness DOES invite aggression. We may abide by a moral code but those who confront us may simply laugh at the notion that what they do is ‘just not cricket’. This is why we must achieve that famous concept of DETERRENCE. What invites aggression is weakness, and what prevents it is deterrence. Without deterrence of an adequate kind, one is prey to the unscrupulous and greedy, those who want what one has.

Small nations have the problem that they have too few resources. This prevents them from achieving a deterrent capability. This is why they aggressively pursue and engage in alliances, international bodies and treaties that oblige all member nations to abide by a code. Unfortunately, such organisations, such as the UN, are created by the most powerful, not to achieve global peace, but to advance their own interests under the guise of diplomacy and gentlemanly conduct. This is why, in spite of the millions of pages of ‘moral’ international law that have been ratified by every country in the world, we still witness appalling travesties of justice like the invasion and occupation of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan – all weak nations.