E. A. Colby's Strategy of Denial and Decent Peace

The text analyzes Elbridge Colby's concept of a "decent peace," defining it not as the absence of conflicts, but as a state of equilibrium in which an aggressor considers the pursuit of hegemony to be too costly. The author argues that in an anarchic international system, law and norms are secondary to the distribution of power, and peace without the capacity for denial is merely an invitation to conquest. In the face of modern forms of coercion—from energy blackmail to cyberattacks—deterrence through real military potential (hard power) becomes key. A decent peace is therefore one that excludes forced submission and faits accomplis, making security a function of a favorable balance of power rather than merely the result of diplomatic declarations.