Conclusion: The Military and British Democracy

Abstract

This conclusion first discusses the dangers and limits of counter-insurgency theory. It is argued that counterinsurgency theory is too unsophisticated to realistically describe and prescribe for the diverse range of conflict situations likely to be faced by the military. This encourages the use of war as an instrument of policy. Second, four perspectives on British counterinsurgency are reviewed — Conservative Realist, Neoconservative, Liberal Hawks and anti-imperialists — with a particular emphasis on their perspective on counterinsurgency and its impact on democracy. The Conservative Realist perspective is probably most reflective of mainstream British military thinking. The Neoconservatives were influential in the US under President Bush but are also influential in Cameron’s Conservative party. The Liberal Hawk’s most famous spokesperson was the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The anti-imperialist perspective is rarely if ever heard in the military and survives within academia and on the left. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of the current debate on withdrawal from Afghanistan.