There is concern in Washington and Kiev that Russian president Vladimir Putin could use any outbreak of violence as a pretext for more overt intervention in Ukraine in order to protect ethnic Russians.
Although the institutionalization of nepotism disappeared in the 18th century, "pietas" (duty to family) remained a theme of papal administration into the 20th century, although rarely with the overt intervention of a papal uncle.
In Mali a brawl involving a mutinous army, ethnic rebels and Islamic extremists ended after less than a year thanks to French soldiers, who intervened in January and forced a partial reconciliation.Ever fewer powers, though, have the stomach for an overt armed intervention.
Latin American militaries know that overt intervention risks international opprobrium and sanctions.
Israeli corporate leaders are cautious about overt intervention in politics and diplomacy, and most are not natural allies of Mr. Netanyahu and his Likud bloc.
But they were never enough to get the Confederacy what, failing overt intervention, it most wanted from Britain: formal recognition of its claim to independence, diplomatic support, and a protected supply of arms, ships, and loans.
You have performed a valuable public service in publishing Doyle McManus' article (June 16) about the emerging "Reagan Doctrine". According to this doctrine, our Washington policy-makers will involve us in overt intervention throughout the world because the Russians have been doing this.
From the middle of the 19th century, when police forces were established throughout Britain, until the 1970s, policing matters were never party political issues, and police officers made no overt interventions in political debate.
At the same time, overt interventions create policy based winners and losers.
