--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The West would be well advised to change…" description: "\"The West would be well advised to change its approach towards failing states. At present, no major power can find the correct ways and means - and the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45e/ahmed-rashid-19311_civil-war_the-west-would-be-well-advised-to-change_1638011.jpg" --- # The West would be well advised to change its approach… ![“The West would be well advised to change its approach towards failing states. At present, no major power can find the correct ways and means - and the numbers of failing states are increasing. This year we watched the collapse of Mali, a consequence of the Libyan civil war. The south of Libya and…” quote by Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45e/ahmed-rashid-19311_civil-war_the-west-would-be-well-advised-to-change_1638011.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45e/ahmed-rashid-19311_civil-war_the-west-would-be-well-advised-to-change_1638011.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45e/ahmed-rashid-19311_civil-war_the-west-would-be-well-advised-to-change_1638011.jpg) > “The West would be well advised to change its approach towards failing states. At present, no major power can find the correct ways and means - and the numbers of failing states are increasing. This year we watched the collapse of Mali, a consequence of the Libyan civil war. The south of Libya and Mali, and Niger too, are well on the way to becoming a no-man's land. After 9/11, George W. Bush and Tony Blair made the promise that they would not tolerate failed states because they could become a haven for terrorists. And today? The number increases.” [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage warns that major powers are failing to address the rise of failing states, which can become breeding grounds for terrorism. **In simple terms:** World powers struggle to manage failing nations. Key Takeaway Develop more effective strategies for state stability. Themes geopolitics security state failure Mood strategic concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - humanitarian aid - capacity building - conflict prevention Key Concepts intervention policy regional stability Questions to Reflect On - What policies could better prevent state collapse? - How can international cooperation improve? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitics often limit decisive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Collapse Mali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collapse-mali-542917/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Failed States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failed-states-542915/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failing States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing-states-542916/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [George w](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-w/) [Libya Mali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libya-mali-542919/) [Mali Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mali-consequence-542918/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Terrorist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorist/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Then we can help these failed states turn around and give their people a better life. 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Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Ahmed Rashid > [You have a lot of suspicion from the neighbors of Afghanistan about U.S. intentions. Iran is already, to some extent, trying to undermine the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/you-have-a-lot-of-suspicion-from-the-neighbors-of-afghanistan-about-u/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [America does not hold to the colonial tradition. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-am-confident-that-there-are-hedge-funds-banks-or-investment/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [The Pashtuns feel discriminated against by the Americans because they supported the Taliban and the war is still going on in their region with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/the-pashtuns-feel-discriminated-against-by-the-americans-because-they/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [I think within a year or so, perhaps, if 9/11 had not happened, in Afghanistan would have been a very broad-based general uprising against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-rashid/i-think-within-a-year-or-so-perhaps-if-9-11-had-not-happened-in/) [Ahmed Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-rashid/) > [We should remember that the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Of course, many of them did support the Taliban. 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