Far too many nation-stations, that really should know better, have bought into the theory that the threat of deterrence, be it nuclear, economic, or some other military means will consistently get other nation-states to come to heel. That at least is the theory, but that theory is wanting, as essentially the threat of deterrence especially when it comes from the sole super-power in this world, basically translates to the words that all those that we threaten with deterrence need to obey the United States, or else. Is that sort of attitude and mindset, that builds resentment, breeds discontent, and ultimately will fail, because fundamentally the most appropriate way to have other nation-states behave in a mature, just, and compassionate manner is to have those very qualities displayed in one's own nation-state.
Nobody likes a bully, and when the United States acts as a bully to the rest of the world, or certain subject nation-states of this world, that is seldom going to resolve issues that need to be addressed in a responsible and mature fashion. Rather, when a country as powerful as the United States, cannot successfully address recalcitrant nation-states in a manner in which those nation-states might consider listening to that voice, in which the response by the United States is far too often, basically advocating force in so many words, then the United States is not helping to build bridges, but rather is acting as a non-listening domineering dad, that wants to always have its way, without going through the trouble of utilizing common sense reasoning, or a true meeting of minds, to accomplish such or to create a meaningful dialog.
Those countries that are incapable of coming to reasoned decisions at meetings that address these very things, in which there is a give and take by all parties involved, of which, we have instead, one party that irrevocably insists that it must be their way or the highway, then there probably wasn't any point to the conference to begin with. All those countries, big or small, superpower or not, that reach for the gun, when they cannot come to an agreement with their own people, or their neighbors, or their fellow countries, have sold their legitimacy to the barrel of that gun. All those that insist upon using the threat of deterrence to resolve differences, have aggrandized onto themselves, the type of power, that is abusive, and thereby serves to negate democracies, and to consider irrelevant the voice of the people, to serve only that one voice, which says that its authority will not bow to any other.
One would expect better discernment from the United States, then how our government and its representatives act on the international scale on so many levels at the present time. First, the United States insists upon meddling in all sorts of affairs that really are not relevant to its Constitutional authority, and secondly it does not desire to find common ground with others, all that often, but rather reaches for that power supremacy card, and utilizes it as a cudgel against all those that annoy them, again and again. For whatever reason, the United States believes it lives in some fantastical world, in which they forever fear that some other nation-state is going to tread on them. The reality is that isn't happening, but those that keep bullying others around, and shaking other nation-states down, are surely going to reap what they have sowed.