Armies and Politics: A Problem in the Third World

“Government in these days is a consequence solely of military power”: so observed the great Islamic philosopher, al-Ghazali, when describing Moslem nations in 1100. His aphorism applies only too well in many of the developing countries of our time. Plus ca change, moins ga change.

Third-World armies today serve almost every conceivable function except that of fighting. In Ethiopia army officers compose the nation’s most popular jazz ballads, while the police force is ...