Grim's Hall

Are Nations with Rising Economies Less Vulnerable to Attack?

Assistant Village Idiot argues that they are, because of a kind of psychological deterrence that works in reverse when our enemies sense we lack the will to resist. In a post that addresses the pros and cons of a Tea Party whose foreign policy doesn't go far beyond "respect the military," he suggests that that may be good enough for now, and adds:

Respect for the military follows similar lines. The psychological aspect, in and of itself, seems to provide a warning to would-be attackers. In less-visible ways, a country's support for its businesses, schools, churches, or any other institution is a part of its effectiveness.

What do you guys think? Especially the part about how potential enemies view the strength of our non-military institutions, which I think is even more interesting than the main point, since my thoughts have been occupied this year with the notion that the way to keep government small is to keep private institutions various and strong.