The deployment of more U.S. troops to Afghanistan is necessary to tip the balance of power against the Taliban. But this military "surge" must be accompanied with a political one designed to persuade insurgents to give up their fight.

Hysteria over bloodshed in Mexico clouds the real challenge. The rising violence is a product of democratization, and the only real solution is to continue strengthening Mexican democracy.

To defeat piracy in centuries past, governments pursued a more active defense at sea and a political solution on land. The current piracy epidemic off the coast of East Africa requires many of the same tactics.