The Foreign Service Journal, May 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2019 73 Then again, those questions would require another book. A Savage Order accomplishes the task at hand. It describes a proven strategy for fighting violence across a wide array of countries and cultures. By focusing on data points such as homicide rates, it provides met- rics and rigor. With a hundred pages of endnotes, it’s a trove of resources. The purpose of the book is to offer a blueprint for action. For those of us in the trenches of diplomacy, it’s a blue- print worthy of our attention. n Frankie Sturm is a Foreign Service officer. He has served in Poland, Guatemala and Washington, D.C., and is currently in training for an assignment in Suriname. Prior to joining the State Department, he worked with Rachel Kleinfeld at the Truman National Security Project from 2008 to 2010. The views in this article are the author’s own and not necessarily those of the Department of State or U.S. government. It’s not just mercenaries who kill. It’s everyday people who have nothing to lose.