Good article. IMO, conventional deterrence works only if it's used. Western nations are too busy trying to ensure only surgical strikes killing only scumbags with no collateral damage, and Heaven forbid one of their own become a casualty. Then the whole thing isn't worth it Unfortunately, the reluctance to use deterrence appropriately and correctly has led to the point of it's going to take a real damned war with all its ugliness to stop these pissants terrorizing the World.

The Crumbling Edifice of Conventional Deterrence | The National Interest